In vivo evaluation of the chemical composition of urinary stones using dual-energy CT.

Objective: The purpose of this article is to evaluate in vivo the chemical composition of urinary stones using dual-source and dual-energy CT, with crystallography as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: Forty patients (mean [± SD] age, 49 ± 17 years) with known or suspected nephrolithiasis underwent unenhanced abdominal CT for urinary tract evaluation using a dual-energy technique (tube voltages, 140 and 80 kVp). For each stone 5 mm or larger in diameter, we evaluated the site, diameter, CT density, surface (smooth vs rough), and stone composition.