Obligatory medical device diagnostics.
- Renal sonography (ultrasound examination of the kidneys) including sonography of the urinary bladder – to exclude renal/urinary bladder changesNotes: When examining the urinary bladder, it should be well filled (250-300 ml). In this way, irregularities of the urinary bladder surface or exophytic tumors can be well depicted.When examining the kidneys, pay attention to an existing urinary stasis or a tumor in the upper urinary tract.
- X-ray examination of the abdomen – to exclude shadowing concretions (stones).
- Urethrocystoscopy (urethrocystoscopy) – possibly with biopsy; to exclude mucosal changes of the urinary bladder/urethra.
- CT urography (CTU) – used in high-risk patients, i.e., the elderly, patients with macrohematuria, smokers, and patients with occupational exposure [upper urinary tract pathologies (eg. Malignancies, stones and renal changes) are detected with a specificity (probability that actually healthy persons who do not suffer from the disease in question are also detected as healthy by the procedure) and sensitivity (percentage of diseased patients in whom the disease is detected by the use of the test, i.e. a positive test result occurs) of approx. 90%; with regard to urinary bladder tumors, there is a sensitivity of only 60%]. Caveat: radiation exposure 10 times higher than urography.
Optional medical device diagnostics – depending on the results of the history, physical examination, laboratory diagnostics and obligatory medical device diagnostics – for differential diagnostic clarification.
- Urography (imaging of the kidneys after administration of a contrast agent with the help of X-rays) – to visualize the internal contours of the kidneys and the draining urinary tract; for suspected kidney or ureteral stones(ureteral stones).
- Retrograde pyelography (imaging of the ureter and kidney with contrast medium from the urinary bladder) – to exclude stenoses in the ureteral area and in suspected diseases of the ureter or renal pelvis.
- Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen (abdominal CT)/pelvis (pelvic CT).
- Magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen (abdominal MRI)/pelvis (pelvic MRI) – for the assessment of intra-abdominal organs in cases of suspected tumor or inflammatory changes, as well as in cases of allergy to contrast media or in children.
- Angiography (imaging of blood vessels by contrast medium in an X-ray examination) – for suspected AV fistula (arteriovenous fistula; abnormal connection between an artery and a vein), renal vessel occlusion.
- Renal biopsy (tissue sampling from the kidney) – for suspected tumorous renal lesions and glomerulopathy.
