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CT · Kidneys, ureters, bladder

CT KUB Report: Stone Size, Location, and Hydronephrosis Findings

Hybrid AI + genitourinary radiologist intelligence. Reports in 20 minutes. Critical findings escalated immediately.

What is a CT KUB?
CT KUB is a non-contrast computed tomography study of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder, performed at low dose to detect urinary tract stones. It has effectively replaced intravenous urography as the first-line study for renal colic in Indian emergency departments.
How long does a CT KUB report take with 5C?
In India, 5C Network's hybrid intelligence workflow delivers structured CT KUB reports in an average of 20 minutes, signed off by a genitourinary radiology specialist. Emergency cases are prioritised for 15-minute turnaround.
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When is a CT KUB ordered?

Ordered for acute flank pain suspected to be renal or ureteric colic, haematuria, suspected recurrent urolithiasis, and follow-up of known stones. Also used to assess hydronephrosis, perinephric collections, and post-shockwave-lithotripsy (SWL) status.

Hybrid Intelligence

How 5C reads a CT KUB

Every CT KUB on the 5C network is read by AI and a board-certified radiologist — never one without the other. Here's the 4-step workflow.

1
~30 sec

Bionic AI pre-read

Bionic — 5C's radiology AI trained on 3+ billion medical images — pre-reads the ct and flags findings for the radiologist's attention.

On this scan, Bionic flags:
  • urolithiasis with stone size in mm
  • stone location (renal pelvis, upper/middle/lower ureter, vesico-ureteric junction, intravesical)
  • stone density in Hounsfield units (predicts composition and SWL response)
  • hydronephrosis grade
  • perinephric stranding and oedema
  • incidental renal masses (Bosniak categorisation)
  • horseshoe kidney and other congenital variants
  • bladder wall thickening and diverticula
  • incidental abdominal pathology (appendicitis, gallstones)
2
Genitourinary radiology

Radiologist read

An NMC-registered genitourinary radiology specialist from 5C's 400+ radiologist network reviews every image, validates or corrects AI findings, and adds clinical context.

  • NMC-registered, medico-legally valid in India
  • Subspecialty-trained for kidneys, ureters, bladder
  • Available 24/7 across India time zones
3
NABH-aligned

QA & peer review

Critical and complex CT KUB reads get a second-radiologist review. Random sampling across all reads supports continuous QA.

  • Double-reading on critical findings
  • Audit trail for medico-legal use
  • NABH-aligned escalation protocol
4
20 min avg

Structured report

Signed PDF report delivered to your PACS / RIS / email in an average of 20 minutes from the time of acquisition.

  • Structured findings + impression
  • 15-minute SLA for emergencies
  • Critical-finding phone escalation

What's in a 5C CT KUB report

A standard 5C CT KUB report is structured to be readable by the referring clinician, the hospital admin reviewing TAT, and any auditor checking NABH compliance.

1

Clinical history

Captures the indication — acute flank pain, haematuria, recurrent stones, post-SWL follow-up — along with prior stone history, current symptoms, and any prior imaging available for comparison.

2

Technique

Documents the non-contrast low-dose stone protocol used, slice thickness, coronal and sagittal reconstructions, and whether prone imaging was added to localise distal ureteric stones at the vesico-ureteric junction.

3

Stone burden assessment

Size, location, density (Hounsfield units), and number of all stones with hydronephrosis grading — the HU value helps predict composition and the likelihood of response to shockwave lithotripsy.

4

Hydronephrosis and obstruction

Grading of pelvicalyceal dilatation (mild, moderate, severe), ureteric dilatation, perinephric stranding, peri-ureteric oedema, and any signs of forniceal rupture or urinary leak.

5

Renal, bladder and incidental findings

Comments on renal parenchyma, focal lesions with Bosniak categorisation, bladder wall thickening and diverticula, congenital variants such as horseshoe kidney, and incidental abdominal pathology (appendicitis, gallstones, AAA) seen on the dataset.

6

Impression

A prioritised summary — stone confirmed or excluded, with size, location, density and obstruction grade, plus recommendations on conservative trial of passage vs urology referral for intervention.

7

Critical-finding escalation

High-grade obstruction with infection (obstructive pyelonephritis), forniceal rupture, or significant incidental pathology such as AAA or appendicitis trigger an immediate phone call from the 5C team to the referring clinician.

CT KUB reads, across India

5C Network reports CT KUB studies for 1,500+ hospitals and diagnostic centres across India — Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow, and 13 more tier-2 / tier-3 cities. NMC-registered, NABH-aligned, medico-legally valid.

See all coverage locations

Frequently asked questions

How long does a CT KUB report take?
5C Network's average turnaround for a CT KUB is 20 minutes from the time the study reaches our platform. Renal colic cases from emergency departments are prioritised under our 15-minute emergency SLA, with critical findings such as obstructive pyelonephritis phoned through to the referring clinician.

How fast can 5C report CT KUB for renal colic?
Under our 15-minute emergency SLA. Acute flank pain workup is one of the highest-volume ER indications across the 1,500+ hospitals on the 5C network — these studies are routed to GU-trained radiologists with stone size, location, density and hydronephrosis grading reported in a structured, decision-ready format.

Is CT KUB better than ultrasound for kidney stones?
For acute flank pain, CT KUB is more sensitive and specific than ultrasound — it detects nearly all stones regardless of composition, gives exact size in millimetres, location along the ureter, density in Hounsfield units, and the grade of obstruction. Ultrasound is useful for follow-up of known stones, in pregnancy, and where radiation is a concern.

Is the radiation safe?
Modern low-dose CT KUB protocols use a fraction of the dose of a standard abdomen CT — comparable to a few months of natural background radiation. For a clinically appropriate stone workup, the diagnostic benefit far outweighs the small radiation risk, especially when it avoids missed obstruction or delayed treatment.

Can 5C report CT KUB for ER cases?
Yes. CT KUB for emergency renal colic is reported under our 15-minute SLA by GU-trained radiologists, 24/7. 5C is DICOM-compliant and integrates with any PACS or modality vendor with no hardware install, on a pay-per-scan basis — no salary or locum commitments to keep a GU radiologist on overnight call.

Does the report tell me if I will pass the stone naturally?
The report gives the size, location, density and obstruction grade — the key factors that determine spontaneous-passage likelihood. As a guide, stones under 5 mm usually pass spontaneously, stones 5-10 mm may pass with medical expulsive therapy, and stones above 10 mm or with significant obstruction usually need urology intervention. The final decision is made by the treating clinician based on the report and the clinical picture.

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Integrate 5C CT KUB reads at your hospital

20-minute average turnaround. AI + radiologist + QA on every read. NMC-registered, NABH-aligned, medico-legally valid in India. Pay-per-scan — no salary or locum commitments.

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