Magnetic resonance urography in the diagnosis of upper urinary tract obstruction

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of MR urography (MRU) in patients with upper urinary tract obstruction. Methods 59 patients with upper urinary tract obstruction were subjected to MRU performed in a heavily T 2 weighted fast echo pulse sequence in the coronal plane. Results The site of urinary tract obstruction and hydronephrosis were distinctly shown in all the 59 patients by MRU. 54 of them were confirmed by pathological or operative findings. Two patients were misdiagnosed by MRU before operation. Conclusions MRU is noninvasive and is free from ionizing radiation or iodinated contrast medium. As a new alternative technique, it is recommended for detecting the location pathogenesis of upper urinary tract obstruction.