Differential radionuclide renal scans can be useful in the management of patients with chronic partial obstruction of 1 kidney. The 99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid perfusion scan can be used to assess glomerular blood flow. The 131iodine orthoiodohippurate renal scan provides qualitative functional information from scintigrams and quantitative evaluation of effective renal plasma flow to each kidney, as well as a total excretory index. Sequential 99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid and 131iodine orthoiodohippurate renal scans were used to assess individual renal function before and after surgical correction of unilateral chronic renal obstruction in 31 patients. The preservation of cortical perfusion on 99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid scans indicated that potential existed for partial recovery of renal function. Effective renal plasma flow and excretory index determined in conjunction with the 131iodine orthoiodohippurate scans provided a quantitative assessment of preoperative renal function, an evaluation of the effect of surgery and a sensitive method for long-term evaluation of differential renal function. Correction of ureteropelvic junction obstruction usually resulted in improvement in unilateral renal function. Neither nephrolithotomy nor extended pyelolithotomy diminished renal function in the kidney subjected to an operation and often improved it. Patients with long-standing distal ureteral obstruction had the least improvement in renal function postoperatively.

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Differential quantitative radionuclide renal scans have been used to confirm that early removal of staghorn calculi by anatrophic nephrolithotomy preserves renal parenchyma without significant renal damage by the surgical procedure. The 99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid scan was useful in predicting recovery of function in the involved kidney, while the 131iodine orthoiodohippurate scan provided a quantitative evaluation of the effect of the surgical procedure on individual kidney function. All of 13 consecutive patients evaluated by 131iodine orthoiodohippurate renal scans had stable or improved effective renal plasma flow to the involved kidney and an unchanged or improved total excretory index 6 months after nephrolithotomy.

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