Magnification renal scintigraphy in the differential diagnosis of septa of Bertin

Pediatric uroradiology

Pediatric uroradiology is the art and science of obtaining images of the child's urinary tract, not only to obtain maximum information, but also to minimize the invasive nature, hazards, and costs of the examinations. This article discusses which examinations should be used in which situations and when; and, if more than one is needed, the order in which the examinations should be performed and why.

Trends in pediatric uroradiology

Excretory urography, conventional and radionuclide voiding cysto(urethro)graphy, ultrasonography, radionuclide renal imaging and computed tomography are all currently readily available in most locales for the evaluation of the child's urinary tract. It is the responsibility of the radiologist to determine which studies are best for which children and the order in which they should be performed to minimize "cost" while maximizing the information obtained. A description of such an approach and its consequences are presented.

Septa of Bertin: a sonographic pseudotumor

The sonographic features of six renal "pseudotumors" representing septa of Bertin are described. Septa of Bertin are isoechoic with renal parenchyma and demonstrate a characteristic splaying of the central sinus echoes. CT performed in all six cases revealed the "mass" to be normally enhancing renal cortex. The characteristic radiographic features of septa of Bertin are reviewed and the split sinus sign is discussed.

An evaluation of the use of 99Tcm-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) as a static renal imaging agent

The clinical value of 99Tcm-dimercaptosuccinic acid, utilized as a static renal imaging agent, has been analysed in 366 patients. It proved to be diagnostically most useful in space occupying lesions of the kidney when equivocal on IVU and provided useful additional information when used in the determination of divided renal function or the distribution of intrarenal function. Its use is contraindicated in the determination of divided renal function in obstructed kidneys because of accumulation of significant amounts of DMSA that are excreted by glomerular filtration. When DMSA uptake at three hours after injection is compared with 99Tcm-DPTA uptake from 90 to 150 seconds after bolus injection, there is a good correlation between the two methods of determination of divided renal function.