What will show up on a CT

[HB387]

OK, here goes.  On Monday afternoon I started to have pain in my lower left side going all the way down.  I all so was having to urinate every few minutes, there was no burning with going.  I thought I might have a UTI.  I went to the DR. and they look at a urine sample and the only thing they saw was blood in my urine.  I was diagnosed with a UTI and  I was ciprofloxacin 500mg twice per day.  I was instructed to return if not better in 3 to 4 days.  By Tuesday night I was really not feeling well and was having a lot of pain, I was beginning to wonder if maybe it was a kidney stone not a UTI.  I went to bed and woke-up around 3:00 am in a lot of pain.  I decided that it must be a kidney stone, I went to the ER.  At the ER they did a CT and the Radiologist said that he sees a kidney stone.  The Urologist looks at the same CT and says that what he sees is not a kidney stone(He does see something there).  The Urologist tells me that I need to have a GYN exam.  He asked me, “your married right”, I told him, “yes”.  Then they decided to take an x-ray and the Urologist tells me to see him in a week and to see my GYN a week after I see him.  My question is what could be showing-up on the CT and X-Ray if it is not a kidney stone? It is down close/in the ureter bladder.  I already know that I have a cyst on my ovary, because we talked about that.      

[Edward W Hook, MD]

I think to try to guess what he was saying will be fruitless- there are just too many things.  Sorry.  EWH

[HB387]

IWell, I have been racking my brain for what the Urologist could have thought he was seeing.  He asked me when my last pap was, it was in Oct 07 and was fine.  He was not forth coming with what he thought it might be, he just said it was not anything bad.  The only thing that I could come up with was a wart on my cervix.  I was just trying to figure out what other types of things you could see on a CT.  

[Edward W Hook, MD]

MedHelp prefers us not to contradict other clinicians and certainly not to get "between" the two physicians you have already heard from. The signs and symptoms you describe are totally consistent with a kidney stone which, in turn, could have lead you to get a urinary tract infection.  You have contacted an STD forum which also makes me wonder what else you might be worried about?

As far as general approach is concerned, a pelvic examination by your gynecologist is a fine idea, not because anything you've said is worrisome but because the GYN exam will complement the other information you have.  It may be well that some sort of interaction between your urinary tract infection, your pre-existing cyst could have caused whatever it is that the urologist thought was seen on your CT.  

Finally, please don't hesitate to ask your doctors to explain what they are seeing/concerned about in test results.  You need to understand and be informed about matters effecting your health.

Hope this helps.  EWH