Kidney stone

Advanced Imaging for Early Detection

Kidney stones, also know as nephrolithiasis, are solid pieces of material that typically form in the kidney. They usually pass through the kidney, into the ureter, through the bladder, and exit when passing urine. Small kidney stones can occur and pass without symptoms.Kidney stones typically are made of calcium based material, which does not give off signal on a MRI, and thus may be missed on any MRI scan. Ultrasound and CT scan (CTKUB) are the best modalities for looking at kidney stones, with urinalysis also helping to assess if signs of kidney stones are present.A kidney stone can develop when chemicals in your body crystallize together. Stones are typically made of calcium oxalate, occasionally made of uric acid or cystine. The stones can range in size from less than 5mm (grain size) to larger than 4cm (golf ball size).