Efficacy of Hounsfield Unit of CT in Prediction of the Chemical Composition of Urinary Stones

Abstract

rolithiasis is a prevalent disease in developed countries where its prevalence ranges between 4% and 20%. Determination of the chemical composition of urinary stones helps in perioperative evaluation, treatment and prophylaxis (Jepperson et al., 2013). Urolithiasis is a worldwide problem, affecting all geographical, cultural and racial groups. The lifetime risk is 10-15% in the developed world but can be as high as 20-25% in Middle East. Nephrolithiasis is largely a recurrent disease with a relapse rate 50% in 5-10 years and 75% in 20 years. CT is now recommended by many as the initial diagnostic imaging technique in patients with suspected renal or ureteric calculi as unenhanced CT has sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 96% respectively for detecting urolithiasis. CT is considered as the reference standard method in for diagnosing urolithiasis, but it is also a major source of exposure to radiation during medical imaging (El-Assmy et al., 2013)