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The diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis in adults is predominantly made by a combination of typical clinical features of flank pain, high temperature and dysuria combined with urinalysis findings of bacteruria and pyuria. Imaging is generally reserved for patients who have atypical presenting features or in those who fail to respond to conventional therapy. In addition, early imaging may be useful in diabetics or immunocompromised patients. In such patients, imaging may not only aid in making the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis, but more importantly, it may help identify complications such as abscess formation. In this pictorial review, we discuss the role of modern imaging in acute pyelonephritis and its complications. We discuss the growing role of cross-sectional imaging with computed tomography (CT) and novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that may be used to demonstrate both typical as well as unusual manifestations of acute pyelonephritis and its complications. In addition, conditions such as emphysematous and fungal pyelonephritis are discussed.

Background-To define and evaluate coronary contrast opacification gradients using prospectively ECG-gated single heart beat 320-detector row coronary angiography (CTA). Methods and Results-Thirty-six patients with normal coronary arteries determined by 320ϫ0.5-mm detector row coronary CTA were retrospectively evaluated with customized image postprocessing software to measure Hounsfield Units at 1-mm intervals orthogonal to the artery center line. Linear regression determined correlation between mean Hounsfield Units and distance from the coronary ostium (regression slope defined as the distance gradient G d ), lumen cross-sectional area (G a ), and lumen short-axis diameter (G s ). For each gradient, differences between the 3 coronary arteries were analyzed with ANOVA. Linear regression determined correlations between measured gradients, heart rate, body mass index, and cardiac phase. To determine feasibility in lesions, all 3 gradients were evaluated in 22 consecutive patients with left anterior descending artery lesions Ն50% stenosis. For all 3 coronary arteries in all patients, the gradients G a and G s were significantly different from zero (PϽ0.0001), highly linear (Pearson r values, 0.77 to 0.84), and had no significant difference between the left anterior descending, left circumflex, and right coronary arteries (PϾ0.503). The distance gradient G d demonstrated nonlinearities in a small number of vessels and was significantly smaller in the right coronary artery when compared with the left coronary system (PϽ0.001). Gradient variations between cardiac phases, heart rates, body mass index, and readers were low. Gradients in patients with lesions were significantly different (PϽ0.021) than in patients considered normal by CTA. Conclusions-Measurement of contrast opacification gradients from temporally uniform coronary CTA demonstrates feasibility and reproducibility in patients with normal coronary arteries. For all patients, the gradients defined with respect to the coronary lumen cross-sectional area and short-axis diameters are highly linear, not significantly influenced by the coronary artery (left anterior descending artery versus left circumflex versus right coronary artery), and have only small variation with respect to patient parameters. Preliminary evaluation of gradients across coronary artery lesions is promising but requires additional study. (Circ Cardiovasc Imaging. 2010;3:179-186.)