Photo Credit: Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen

The following is a summary of “Accuracy of Radiology Reports for Obstructing Ureteral Stone Size in the Emergency Department,” published in the December 2023 issue of Urology by Patnaik, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to assess the number of dimensions of obstructing ureteral stones described in radiology computed tomography reports in the emergency department (ED) and to evaluate measurement discrepancies between radiologist and urologist reviews.

A single-center retrospective study was conducted on patients presenting to the ED with unilateral, solitary, obstructing ureteral stones from March 2018 to March 2021. Stone size in each reported dimension by the radiologist was extracted and compared to size independently measured by a urologist for all three stone dimensions. The primary outcome was the number of stone dimensions in the radiology report.

A total of 181 patients were analyzed. Radiology reports described the stone in one dimension in 82.3% of cases, two dimensions in 15%, and three in 2.7%. There was a significant difference in median maximal stone size between radiologist and urologist measurements (5.5 vs. 6.5 mm, respectively, P < .001). The maximal measurement recorded in the craniocaudal (CC) dimension by urologist review was present in 62% of stones, while only 26% of radiology reports included the CC measurement.

Ureteral stone size assessment in the current ED cohort frequently relies on only one or two dimensions, often needing more CC measurement. The incomplete characterization may impact acute management. The study highlighted the importance of reporting all three dimensions of obstructing ureteral stones in the ED to enhance patient management.

Reference: goldjournal.net/article/S0090-4295(23)00787-2/abstract