Color Doppler Evaluation of Ureteral Jets in Patients with Ureteral Stones

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics of ureteral jets in patients with ureteral stones by color Doppler ultrasonography. Method: 49 patients (patient group) with unilateral ureteral stones proved by non contrast spiral CT and another 40 healthy volunteers (control group) who have no any previous urinary complaint were examined for their ureteral jets by color Doppler ultrasonography for ureteral jet number per 5 minutes as well as its peak velocity (cm/s). Statistical analysis was done by using Social Sciences computer program (SPSS) version 17, p-values less than or equal to 0.05 were considered statistically significant difference. Results: There was a significant statistical difference between the healthy volunteers and the patients with ureteral stones (p < 0.001). However, there was no statistical difference between the healthy volunteers on both sides and also the healthy volunteers and the non – obstructed side of the patients with ureteral stones (p > 0.05). So the healthy side could be used as a reference to the diseased side according to our results. Conclusion: The color Doppler evaluation of the ureteral jets (its number and velocity) is a valid method of evaluating ureteral calcular obstruction and could be a first line of management to detected ureteric obstruction especially in patients with acute flank pain which may be controversial for other causes of acute abdomen in the emergency department