Author(s)

Kofi-Mensa Savi de Tové^1*, Madina Napon², Zakari Nikiema³, Patricia Yèkpè⁴, Olivier Biaou⁴, Vicentia Boco⁴

¹Medical Imaging Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Parakou, Republic of Benin.
²Medical Imaging Unit, Charles de Gaulle University Teaching Hospital, Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso.
³Medical Imaging Unit, Sourô Sanou University Teaching Hospital, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina-Faso.
⁴Medical Imaging Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Republic of Benin.

Emphysematous cystitis is a severe urinary tract infection which threatens patients’ life. Thus, it requires early diagnosis and computed tomography (CT) is the reference medical exam used to address it. However, ultrasound, which is a non-ionizing and very accessible technique, may also contribute to diagnosis. The aim of this study was to illustrate the contribution of ultrasound to the diagnosis of emphysematous cystitis. We report three cases of emphysematous cystitis diagnosed by ultrasound. In all the cases, ultrasound identified basic signs showing presence of gas, including a hyperechoic cystic parietal thickening, repeat echoes and dirty shadow cones of intraluminal focus. Diagnostic confirmation was made in two cases through X-ray and in one case by means of computed tomography. Through simple basic signs, ultrasound directs most usefully towards an emphysematous urinary tract infection. CT enables a more accurate diagnostic work-up of lesions and differential diagnosis with vesico-digestive fistula.

Emphysematous Cystitis, Ultrasound, Computed Tomography, X-Ray

Tové, K. , Napon, M. , Nikiema, Z. , Yèkpè, P. , Biaou, O. and Boco, V. (2015) Ultrasound Contribution to the Diagnosis of Emphysematous Cystitis. Open Journal of Radiology, 5, 170-175. doi: 10.4236/ojrad.2015.53024.