Imagery of the kidney and the excretory system

Imagery of the upper urinary tract in veterinary medicine uses essentially radiography and ultrasonography. When it is difficult to obtain a clear image of kidney structure by radiography (conventional and with a contrast product), ultrasonography offers an excellent representation of the parenchyma and vascular structure. In the case of renal affections a more precise diagnosis can be obtained by histological analysis of a biopsy taken under ultrasonographic control. On the other hand examination of the urethras is usually performed by radiography with a contrast product. The two techniques are therefore complementary, but neither allows an accurate evaluation of filtration efficiency