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Acute Renal Infections

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Radiological Imaging of the Kidney

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a very common urologic disease and one of the most common infectious disorders among human beings. Women are more prone to develop urinary tract infections than men, in the vast majority of the cases due to Escherichia coli.

In adults, diagnosis of UTI is characteristically based on typical clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Imaging is usually requested for patients who do not respond to antimicrobial therapy, especially when there is a strong suspicion of involvement of the upper urinary tracts and kidney, i.e. acute pyelonephritis.

Computed tomography (CT) is the modality of choice in evaluating acute bacterial pyelonephritis. In fact, CT performed immediately after contrast material injection and at delayed intervals provides highly specific features and an accurate assessment of intra- and extrarenal complications, represented mainly by renal and extrarenal abscesses and gas forming infections.

Conversely, ultrasound (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also be useful in some limited circumstances.

Nuclear medicine plays an important role in evaluating acute pyelonephritis in children.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiological Science, University of Messina, Policlinico “G. Martino”, Gazzi, Messina, Italy

    Alfredo Blandino, Silvio Mazziotti, Fabio Minutoli, Giorgio Ascenti & Michele Gaeta

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  1. Alfredo Blandino
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  2. Silvio Mazziotti
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  3. Fabio Minutoli
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  4. Giorgio Ascenti
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  5. Michele Gaeta
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Correspondence to Alfredo Blandino .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ospedale di Cattinara, Ist. Radiologia, Università Trieste, Strada di Fiume 447, Trieste, 34149, Italy

    Emilio Quaia

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Blandino, A., Mazziotti, S., Minutoli, F., Ascenti, G., Gaeta, M. (2010). Acute Renal Infections. In: Quaia, E. (eds) Radiological Imaging of the Kidney. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-87597-0_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-87597-0_16

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