Utility of helical computed tomography in the management of renal colic

In recent years, noncontrast helical computed tomography has modified the imaging techniques employed in the management of patients who arrive in the emergency service presenting signs of renal colic. Based on the literature and our own experience with 140 patients who complained of pain suggestive of a colic probably due to stone disease, we review the radiological features of this entity and discuss the utility of the technique in confirming the diagnosis, predicting the clinical course and detecting other diseases that present with identical symptomatology. (Author) 20 refs