Furosemide for the diagnosis of complete or partial ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

Facticious accumulation of the radiopharmaceutical in the urinary draining system as shown by routine renal tests, like technetium- 99m-diethylenetriamine pentacetic acid, technetium-99m-mercaptylacetyltriglycine or technetium-99m-glucoheptonate renograms can be re-evaluated by administering a diuretic, like furosemide (FS) and obtaining post FS dynamic and static images. Urinary tract obstruction can thus be identified. Partial urinary tract obstruction, the effectiveness of stenting, the effectiveness of obstruction correcting surgery and retroperitoneal lymph nodes, may be diagnosed after FS induced diuresis. However, factors like loss of the compliance of the renal pelvis or the ureter, low renal function, renal immaturity in neonates and full or neurogenic bladder limit the diagnostic effectiveness of FS. Diuretic enhanced Doppler sonography and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging can also be used for the evaluation of partial or complete urinary tract obstruction. The FS induced diuresis procedure is compared to other related diagnostic techniques.