Low-Dose Unenhanced Computed Tomography with Iterative Reconstruction for Diagnosis of Ureter Stones

To study the clinical application of low-dose unenhanced computed tomography with iterative reconstruction technique (LDCT-IR) on renal colic in the emergency department. We conducted a prospective, single-blinded, randomized, and non-inferiority study. From March 2014 to August 2015, 112 patients with renal colic were included, and were randomized to either LDCT-IR (n=46) or standard-dose unenhanced CT (SDCT) (n=66) groups. The accuracy of urolithiasis diagnosis was the primary endpoint of this study. Radiation dose, size and location of the stone, hydronephrosis, other diseases except urolithiasis, and results of treatment were analyzed between the two groups. The average effective dose radiation of SDCT was approximately four times higher than that of LDCT-IR (6.52 mSv vs. 1.63 mSv, p