The importance of computed tomography and magnetic resonance tomography in shockwave cholelithotripsy

With shockwave-lithotripsy a new method of therapy has been introduced, whose efficiency is essentially determined by that of the accompanying imaging diagnostics. This poses several new problems for the diagnostic radiologist. While sonography and conventional cholegraphy have an important place in connection with shockwave-lithotripsy, the role of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) has not yet been established. According to our experiences and experimental data pre-interventional CT improves the accuracy for measurements of the calcium content of concrements and gives the best survey on the topography of the upper abdomen of patients with biliary concrements. MRT before lithotripsy does not yield important additional information. Applied after intervention it at least equals CT. Besides localization and description of the diseased gall-bladder the detection of complications with CT and MRT is one of the tasks of the radiologist in connection with shockwave-lithotripsy.