Technical considerations in renal CT

CT is a robust, rapid means of evaluation for a wide spectrum of urologic disorders. The evaluation of renal trauma, urologic malignancy, urolithiasis, and vascular anatomy is well suited to CT techniques. Subtle adjustments, however, in the technical parameters and timing of the study can optimize the evaluation based on the clinical setting. Because CT is more widely used, often repeatedly on an individual patient, radiation exposure must be minimized while still obtaining diagnostic image quality. This article reviews and discusses technical considerations in the performance of CT for various urologic clinical indications.