Ultrasonic in vivo and in vitro studies on the nature of the ureteral jet phenomenon.

Abstract

The ureteral jet phenomenon demonstrated by real-time ultrasonography could be seen in 60% of 264 randomly examined patients. The jet, which was demonstrated after the patients had ingested 1 l of fluid, had a duration of 3.5 .+-. 1.7 s and a frequency of 3.1 .+-. 1.6/min. In an in vitro model, similar jets could always be demonstrated when the difference in specific gravity between the injected fluid and the fluid within the balloon was at least 0.010 g/ml. The ureteral jet seems to be a physiological phenomenon resulting from acoustic interfaces between fluids of different specific gravities.