RARE UROGRAPHY IN PELVIC TUMORS - DIAGNOS TIC RANKING AND COMPARISON WITH INTRAVENOUS PYELOGRAPHY

Purpose: To examine if RARE urography may replace conventional intrave nous urography in patients with suspected urinary obstruction in pelvi c tumours. Materials and methods: In a prospective trial on 120 patien ts with pelvic tumours scheduled for operation, biplanar RARE urograph y was performed and compared to conventional intravenous urography and ultrasound findings. Results: In 30 out of 120 patients an ureteric o bstruction was diagnosed by ultrasound. Sensitivity of RARE urography for obstruction was 98% as compared to 60% in conventional intravenous urography. In 12 patients additional retrograde cystoureterography sh owed a sensitivity of 83%. Specificity of RARE urography and intraveno us urography was 100%. In combination with axial MR tomography RARE ur ography yielded a more precise localisation of the site of obstruction and the underlying cause (98%) as compared to conventional urography (60%) and ultrasound (56%). Conclusion: By use of RARE urography urina ry obstruction can be reliably demonstrated or ruled out. Combining RA RE urography with tomographic MR imaging allows the precise depiction of the site of the obstruction and may demonstrate the underlying path ology.