Using micro computed tomographic imaging for analyzing kidney stones

• Published in: Comptes rendus. Chimie Vol. 24; no. Suppl 2; pp. 61 - 72
• Main Authors: Williams, Jr, James C, Lingeman, James E, Daudon, Michel, Bazin, Dominique
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: France Académie des sciences (Paris) 2021; Académie des sciences
• Subjects: Apatite; Biochemistry; Biochemistry, Molecular Biology; Bioengineering; Brushite; Calcium oxalate; Human health and pathology; Imaging; Life Sciences; Struvite; Uric acid; Urology and Nephrology; apatite; struvite; stone analysis; brushite; urolithiasis; micro CT; calcium oxalate; uric acid; Brushite; Apatite; Calcium oxalate; Uric acid; Struvite
• ISSN: 1631-0748; 1878-1543; 1878-1543
• DOI: 10.5802/crchim.89

Stone analysis is a critical part of the clinical characterization of urolithiasis. This article reviews the strengths and limitations of micro CT in the analysis of stones. Using micro CT alone in a series of 757 stone specimens, micro CT identified the 458 majority calcium oxalate specimens with a sensitivity of 99.6% and specificity of 95.3%. Micro CT alone was also successful in identifying majority apatite, brushite, uric acid, and struvite stones. For some minor minerals-such as apatite in calcium oxalate or calcium salts in uric acid stones-micro CT enables the detection of minute quantities well below 1%. The addition of a standard for calibrating X-ray attenuation values improves the ability of micro CT to identify common stone minerals. The three-dimensional nature of micro CT also allows for the visualization of surface features in stones, which is valuable for the study of stone formation.