Imaging of Urinary System Trauma

Renal Sinus Pathologies Depicted by CT Imaging: A Pictorial Review

Diverse conditions comprise the spectrum of renal sinus pathologies, which have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for patients. Using CT imaging as a lens, this exhaustive review examines the representation of these pathologies. The article begins with a concise synopsis of renal anatomy and the specialized CT methodologies utilized to achieve excellent visualization. Transformational cell carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, multilocular nephroma, and lymphoma are among the tumoral origins of the renal sinus pathologies that are investigated. Further, vascular pathologies including fistulas, hematomas, and aneurysms are included in the discourse, along with parapelvic and peripelvic cysts, and lipomatosis. In addition to urolithiasis and encrusted uretero-pyelitis, the review examines the consequences of metal toxicity and non-neoplastic conditions. With a focus on critical CT imaging findings that aid in the provision of an accurate diagnosis, every pathology is meticulously examined. With the intention of improving clinical decision-making and patient care, this article intends to function as a valuable resource for radiologists, clinicians, and researchers who are engaged in the interpretation and comprehension of renal sinus pathologies.

Damage Control for renal trauma: the more conservative the surgeon, better for the kidney

Urologic trauma is frequently reported in patients with penetrating trauma. Currently, the computerized tomography and vascular approach through angiography/embolization are the standard approaches for renal trauma. However, the management of renal or urinary tract trauma in a patient with hemodynamic instability and criteria for emergency laparotomy, is a topic of discussion. This article presents the consensus of the Trauma and Emergency Surgery Group (CTE) from Cali, for the management of penetrating renal and urinary tract trauma through damage control surgery. Intrasurgical perirenal hematoma characteristics, such as if it is expanding or actively bleeding, can be reference for deciding whether a conservative approach with subsequent radiological studies is possible. However, if there is evidence of severe kidney trauma, surgical exploration is mandatory and entails a high probability of requiring a nephrectomy. Urinary tract damage control should be conservative and deferred, because this type of trauma does not represent a risk in acute trauma management.

Appendicitis Mimicking Urinoma: A Challenging Emergency Presentation Secondary to Ureteric Stone

This article describes the case of a 38-year-old male who presented to the ED with three days history of gradually progressing right-sided lower abdominal pain, which had increased in severity two hours prior to his ED visit. The patient was anorexic but denied experiencing any fever, urinary malfunctions, or chills. Blood tests showed an elevated serum creatinine level of 123 umol/L and a high C-reactive protein level of 62 mg/L. Bedside point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) imaging showed right-sided mild hydroureteronephrosis with surrounding perinephric fluid. Initially, based on the patient’s presentation and clinical findings, appendicitis or ureteric colic was strongly suspected. CT of the abdomen with contrast revealed urinoma measuring 16 cm, and there was a 3.2 mm calculus in the distal part of the right ureter, with perinephric and periureteric fat stranding.

This rare phenomenon requires prompt care. Delayed medical treatment may result in complications like hydronephrosis, abscess, distorted electrolyte levels, and gradual loss of renal function. Small urinomas are usually treated conservatively, while large-sized urinomas often require aggressive medical treatment. A drainage catheter under CT or ultrasound guidance may be done, and additional decompression and drainage may be needed with percutaneous nephrostomy tubes. The fluid and urine culture guide antibiotic treatment.

"Renal emergencies: a comprehensive pictorial review with MR imaging"

Superior soft-tissue contrast and high sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting and characterizing disease may provide an expanded role in acute abdominal and pelvic imaging. Although MRI has traditionally not been exploited in acute care settings, commonly used in biliary obstruction and during pregnancy, there are several conditions in which MRI can go above and beyond other modalities in diagnosis, characterization, and providing functional and prognostic information. In this manuscript, we highlight how MRI can help in further assessment and characterization of acute renal emergencies. Currently, renal emergencies are predominantly evaluated with ultrasound (US) or computed tomography (CT) scanning. US may be limited by various patient factors and technologist experience while CT imaging with intravenous contrast administration can further compromise renal function. With the advent of rapid, robust non-contrast MRI, and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) imaging studies with short scan times, free-breathing techniques, and lack of ionization radiation, the utility of MRI for renal evaluation might be superior to CT not only in diagnosing an emergent renal process but also by providing functional and prognostic information. This review outlines the clinical manifestations and the key imaging findings for acute renal processes including acute renal infarction, hemorrhage, and renal obstruction, among other entities, to highlight the added value of MRI in evaluating the finer nuances in acute renal emergencies.

Imaging of the adult male urethra, penile prostheses and artificial urinary sphincters

To discuss the imaging appearances of various pathologies affecting adult male urethra and to review the role of imaging in the assessment of artificial urinary sphincters and penile prostheses. Diagnosis of common male urethral diseases heavily depends on two conventional fluoroscopic techniques namely retrograde urethrography and voiding cystourethrography. These are useful in evaluating common urethral diseases like traumatic injury, infections, and strictures. Cross-sectional imaging can be useful in evaluating periurethral pathologies. Artificial urinary sphincters, slings, and periurethral bulking agents are used in the management of urinary incontinence and imaging can be utilized to detect complications in these devices. Cross-sectional imaging especially MRI plays a significant role in evaluating the different types of penile prostheses and their malfunctioning.

Near-infrared fluorescent molecular probes for imaging and diagnosis of nephro-urological diseases

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging has improved imaging depth relative to conventional fluorescence imaging in the visible region, demonstrating great potential in both fundamental biomedical research and clinical practice. To improve the detection specificity, NIR fluorescence imaging probes have been under extensive development. This review summarizes the particular application of optical imaging probes with the NIR-I window (700-900 nm) or the NIR-II window (1000-1700 nm) emission for diagnosis of nephron-urological diseases. These molecular probes have enabled contrast-enhanced imaging of anatomical structures and physiological function as well as molecular imaging and early diagnosis of acute kidney injury, iatrogenic ureteral injury and bladder cancer. The design strategies of molecular probes are specifically elaborated along with representative imaging applications. The potential challenges and perspectives in this field are also discussed.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Major Blunt Trauma

This review assesses the appropriateness of various imaging studies for adult major blunt trauma or polytrauma in the acute setting. Trauma is the leading cause of mortality for people in the United States <45 years of age, and the fourth leading cause of death overall. Imaging, in particular CT, plays a critical role in the management of these patients, and a number of indications are discussed in this publication, including patients who are hemodynamically stable or unstable; patients with additional injuries to the face, extremities, chest, bowel, or urinary system; and pregnant patients. Excluded from consideration in this review are penetrating traumatic injuries, burns, and injuries to pediatric patients. Patients with suspected injury to the head and spine are also discussed more specifically in other appropriateness criteria documents. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment.

Kidney and uro-trauma: WSES-AAST guidelines

Renal and urogenital injuries occur in approximately 10-20% of abdominal trauma in adults and children. Optimal management should take into consideration the anatomic injury, the hemodynamic status, and the associated injuries. The management of urogenital trauma aims to restore homeostasis and normal physiology especially in pediatric patients where non-operative management is considered the gold standard. As with all traumatic conditions, the management of urogenital trauma should be multidisciplinary including urologists, interventional radiologists, and trauma surgeons, as well as emergency and ICU physicians. The aim of this paper is to present the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) kidney and urogenital trauma management guidelines.

The Approach to the Patient with Hematuria

Hematuria is common; whether gross or microscopic, it is incumbent on emergency providers to consider life-threatening and benign processes when evaluating these patients. Most workup is driven by a focused history and physical, including laboratory studies and diagnostic imaging. The cause originates in the genitourinary tract and, as long as the patient remains stable, they can be discharged with close outpatient follow-up. The importance of this cannot be stressed enough because hematuria, especially in the elderly, frequently signals the presence of urologic malignancy. In addition, the workup occasionally yields a nongenitourinary tract cause, and these patients often require emergent management.

MDCT Imaging of Acute Bladder Pathology

In this review, we will discuss and illustrate the pathophysiology, presentation, and multidetector computed tomography findings associated with emergent bladder conditions, limiting our discussion to traumatic, infectious, and obstructive etiologies. After reviewing computed tomography cystographic technique, the commonly utilized classification systems for bladder trauma will be presented with illustrative examples of associated typical and more infrequent secondary injuries and complications. Next, the pathogenesis and imaging appearance of both mechanical and neurogenic acute urinary retention will be addressed, including less common though potentially pathognomonic obstructive etiologies including urethral calculi and ectopic ureteroceles. Finally, we will review and illustrate the imaging features of both inflammatory and infectious cystitis, including hemorrhagic and emphysematous variants, as well as the potentially encountered secondary complications.

Pattern Recognition: A Mechanism-based Approach to Injury Detection after Motor Vehicle Collisions

Motor vehicle collisions cause substantial mortality, morbidity, and expense worldwide. Certain types of injuries are more likely to result from frontal versus side-impact collisions, and knowledge of these specific patterns and why they occur aids in accurate and efficient diagnosis of traumatic injuries. Although the proper use of seat belts decreases crash-related mortality during frontal impact, certain injury patterns to the torso are directly attributed to restraint use. The spectrum of seat belt-related injuries ranges from mild skin and soft-tissue contusions to traumatic bowel injuries and unstable spine injuries that require surgery. Impact with the steering wheel or windshield during a frontal crash can cause characteristic injuries to the head, neck, torso, and distal upper extremity. Steering wheel deformity is an independent predictor of serious thoracic and abdominal injury among front-seat passengers. Impact of a flexed knee with the dashboard during a frontal collision can cause knee, thigh, and hip injuries. Distal lower extremity injuries are encountered frequently when the floorboard is driven into the foot. Lateral impact crashes often result in traumatic brain, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic injuries, which are more often fatal to occupants on the side of the impact. The specific mechanism-based injury patterns are reviewed to establish a structured systematic search pattern that enables the radiologist to identify traumatic injuries with greater accuracy and speed, thereby improving the care of patients who experience acute trauma. ^©RSNA, 2019 See discussion on this article by Ballard and Mellnick .

Early management of severe pelvic injury (first 24 hours)

OBJECTIVE

Pelvic fractures represent 5% of all traumatic fractures and 30% are isolated pelvic fractures. Pelvic fractures are found in 10 to 20% of severe trauma patients and their presence is highly correlated to increasing trauma severity scores. The high mortality of pelvic trauma, about 8 to 15%, is related to actively bleeding pelvic injuries and/or associated injuries to the head, abdomen or chest. Regardless of the severity of pelvic trauma, diagnosis and treatment must proceed according to a strategy that does not delay the management of the most severely injured patients. To date, in France, there are no guidelines issued by healthcare authorities or professional societies that address this subject.

DESIGN

A consensus committee of 22 experts from the French Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine (Société Française d'Anesthésie et de Réanimation; SFAR) and the French Society of Emergency Medicine (Société Française de Médecine d'Urgence; SFMU) in collaboration with the French Society of Radiology (Société Française de Radiologie; SFR), French Defence Health Service (Service de Santé des Armées; SSA), French Society of Urology (Association Française d'Urologie; AFU), the French Society of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologique; SOCFCOT), and the French Society of Digestive Surgery (Société Française de Chirurgie digestive; SFCD) was convened. A formal conflict-of-interest (COI) policy was developed at the onset of the process and enforced throughout. The entire guidelines process was conducted independently from any industry funding. The authors were advised to follow the principles of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. The potential drawbacks of making strong recommendations in the presence of low-quality evidence were emphasised.

METHODS

Population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes (PICO) questions were reviewed and updated as needed, and evidence profiles were generated. The analysis of the literature and the recommendations were then conducted according to the GRADE^® methodology.

RESULTS

The SFAR Guideline panel provided 22 statements on prehospital and hospital management of the unstable patient with pelvic fracture. After three rounds of discussion and various amendments, a strong agreement was reached for 100% of recommendations. Of these recommendations, 11 have a high level of evidence (Grade 1 ± ), 11 have a low level of evidence (Grade 2 ± ).

CONCLUSIONS

Substantial agreement exists among experts regarding many strong recommendations for management of the unstable patient with pelvic fracture.

Urinoma: Prompt Diagnosis and Treatment Can Prevent Abscess Formation, Hydronephrosis, and a Progressive Loss of Renal Function

This case describes a 70-year-old female who presented with right flank pain around the site where a stent had been placed in her right kidney at an outside hospital several months earlier. The patient arrived tachycardic with a leukocytosis and a lactic acidosis. Further imaging revealed a very hydronephrotic right kidney and an extremely large fluid collection in the right retroperitoneum extending into the right flank consistent with leakage of urine from the obstructed right kidney. Prompt treatment of this rare phenomenon is crucial for delay in medical care can lead to abscess, hydronephrosis, electrolyte instability, and a progressive loss of renal function. Treatment for small urinomas is usually conservative as the collection will most often be reabsorbed. Larger urinomas even without systemic signs often necessitate more aggressive medical treatment. A drainage catheter can be placed with ultrasound or CT guidance. Percutaneous nephrostomy tubes are often used as well for additional drainage and decompression. Fluid culture is recommended to guide antibiotic treatment.

Triple-split-bolus versus single-bolus CT in abdominal trauma patients: a comparative study

Background Split-bolus computed tomography (CT) is a recent development in trauma imaging. Instead of multiple scans in different contrast phases after a single contrast bolus, split-bolus protocols consist of one single scan of the thorax and abdomen after two or three contrast injections at different points of time. Purpose To evaluate and compare image quality and injury findings of a new triple-split-bolus CT (TS-CT) protocol of thorax and abdomen with those of a portal venous phase CT (PV-CT) in the same patient group. Material and Methods Trauma patients in 2009-2012 who underwent both the TS-CT initially and a PV-CT during the next six weeks were included. The TS-CT examination was performed as one CT run after application of three contrast boluses (total 175 mL) to enhance renal pelvis and urinary tract, the abdominal organs, and the large arterial vessels. The PV-CT had a fixed delay of 85 s. We measured attenuation in Hounsfield units (HU), evaluated possible organ injury and assessed image quality on a 5-point scale. Results Thirty-five patients were included. Attenuation measurements of major abdominal vessels, organs, and renal pelvis were significantly higher with the TS-CT protocol. Performance in organ injury diagnosis and image quality was equal in both protocols. Conclusion The overall performance of the TS-CT protocol is similar to the standard PV-CT. Excellent visualization of the arterial tree and the collecting system may eliminate the need for separate scans.

Renal trauma

The kidney is the most commonly injured genitourinary organ, and renal involvement has been reported in 1–5% of all trauma cases. Two mechanisms of renal injury are described, namely blunt (direct blow to the kidney, rapid acceleration/deceleration or a combination) and penetrating (from stab or gunshot wounds), with blunt injuries being most common in the UK. It is important to keep an index of suspicion for renal trauma as given by the mechanism of the injury or in poly-trauma. Accurate assessment and resuscitation are vital in the initial management. Imaging with computed tomography is critical to the accurate grading of the injury and helps guide subsequent treatment. The approach to management of renal injuries has changed over time. During the past two decades, advances in cross-sectional imaging coupled with minimally invasive intervention strategies (like angiography, embolisation and ureteric stenting) for managing traumatic renal injuries have allowed increased renal preservation by reducing the need for major surgical intervention. Nowadays, the vast majority of blunt injuries (up to 95%) are managed conservatively with accumulated experience suggesting this is safe. However, there is still a role for open surgical exploration in patients with haemodynamic instability or those who fail initial conservative/minimally invasive management.

Diagnosis and Management of Hematuria

Microscopic and gross hematuria present unique and difficult diagnostic and management challenges in the already complex general surgery patient. This article provides the general surgeon with relevant knowledge in the pathophysiology, anatomy, etiologies, workup, and treatments of hematuria. In addition common causes of hematuria that may be encountered by the general surgeon (including trauma, urinary tract infection, urolithiasis, and malignancy), the difficult to manage clinical situation of clot urinary retention is presented. This article provides a urologic framework of thinking for the clinician to best manage a general surgery patient who has hematuria.

Renal trauma: imaging evaluation and implications for clinical management

Severe renal injuries are usually associated with multisystem injuries, may require interventional radiology to control hemorrhage and improve the chances for renal salvage, and are more likely to fail nonoperative management. However, most renal injuries are mild in severity and successfully managed conservatively. The AAST classification is the most widely used system to describe renal injuries and carries management and prognostic implications. CT with intravenous contrast is the imaging test of choice to assess for renal injuries. Contrast extravasation indicating active bleeding should be mentioned as its presence is predictive for failure of nonoperative management. Radiologists play a critical role in identifying renal injuries and should make every effort to describe renal injuries according to the AAST grading scheme to better inform the surgeon's management decisions.