Comparison of Excretory Urography, Ultrasonography-Guided Percutaneous Antegrade Pyelography, and Renal Doppler Ultrasonography in Rabbits with Unilateral Partial Ureteral Obstruction: An Experimental Study

The aim of this study was to compare diagnostic efficiency of excretory urography (EU), ultrasonography-guided percutaneous antegrade pyelography (UGPAP), and renal Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) in New Zealand rabbits (n= 20) experimentally induced unilateral partial ureteral obstruction. The resistive index (RI) value was obtained from all rabbits prior to the induction. A partial ureteral obstruction was created on the left ureter by laparotomy in all rabbits. Applications of direct renal DUS and renal DUS after furosemide administration were performed on days 1 and 10 post-operation. Rabbits were divided into two groups. Rabbits in the first group were subjected to EU, whereas those in the second group were subjected to UGPAP. The obstructive point was successfully determined all rabbits in the EU group on both days 1 and 10 post-operation, whereas in 8 rabbits on day 1 post-operation and all rabbits on day 10 post-operation in the UGPAP group. On both measurements, the mean RI values of the obstructed and non-obstructed kidneys were different (0.567 vs. 0.494; P<0.001). The RI value of non-obstructed kidneys decreased further with furosemide administration. The mean RI difference (RI Delta) after furosemide administration increased. In conclusion, in addition to EU and UGPAP, commonly used imagining methods in veterinary medicine, renal DUS after diuretic administration should be performed as a non-invasive technique to increase diagnostic efficiency of unilateral partial ureteral obstruction.