1515: Clinical use of Hand-Carried Ultrasound Devices for Ureteral Stone Detection

Abstract

To evaluate the usefulness of hand-carried ultrasound (HCUS) devices for ureteral stone detection. Between September 2004 and October 2006, HCUS was performed by the author in 64 patients clinically suspected of having ureterolithiasis in the emergency department of an urban teaching hospital. Of the 64 patients, 47 diagnosed to have ureterolithiasis by urologists on a following day were enrolled in this study. The examination was performed by using one of two HCUS devices: LOGIQ BooK XP (GE Medical Systems), SonoSite 180PLUS (SonoSite). At first both of the kidneys were observed with HCUS to evaluate the intrarenal collecting systems. Thereafter, the possible course of the ureter and the bladder were searched to find the stone. The ureteral stone was detected with HCUS in 16 (34%) of the 47 patients. The locations included the ureteropelvic junction (n = 3), the proximal ureter (n = 1) and the ureterovesical junction (n = 12). The bladder was distended in 37 of the 47 patients. The stone was detected in 16 (43%) of the 37 patients. It is helpful to search for a ureteral stone with HCUS for the conformation of ureterolithiasis when the bladder is distended.