UROLOGICAL ABNORMALITIES REVEALED BY UPPE R URINARY-TRACT INFECTION

Upper urinary tract infection can occur as a primary disease in patien ts whose urinary tract is normal or as a secondary disease precipitate d by a urological abnormality. Among 244 patients with upper urinary t ract infection seen in our department, 72 had an abnormality of the ur inary tract. The most common urinary tract abnormality was lithiasis w hich accounted for 46 % of cases. The intravenous urogram was the inve stigation with the highest diagnostic yield (abnormal in 97 % of cases ). An intravenous urogram should be performed routinely in males, as w ell as in females with an anomaly on the plain roentgenogram of the ur inary tract or a history of recurrent urinary tract infection or renal colic. Ultrasonography is useful mainly when a renal or perirenal col lection is suspected. Computed tomography should be performed when the diagnosis remain in doubt or when appropriate treatment fails.