Computed tomography of kidney stones for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

Methods to predict fragmentation efficiency are still needed for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL). Imaging studies of kidney stones could be a useful tool to guide ESWL. Artificial and real kidney stones were analyzed using standard clinical CT imaging procedures. The objective was to compare CT image properties of phantom and real kidney stones. Image properties of both groups were compared and show a good agreement between them. These preliminary images will be used to measure CT attenuation coefficients of real and artificial stones and find a relationship between attenuation values and the fragmentation coefficient of renal calculi exposed to shock waves.