Investigations
What to expect from your test.
Each guide explains why a test or scan is done, how to prepare, what happens on the day, the possible risks, and what to do with your results.
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CT scans of the urinary tract (CT KUB, CT urogram and more)
The different CT scans your urologist may ask for, to find stones, look for the cause of blood in the urine, study kidney lumps, and check how far a cancer has spread. Preparation, dye and your kidneys, and your results.
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Ultrasound scans (kidneys, bladder and scrotum)
A safe scan with no radiation, used for stones, a swollen kidney, the bladder and prostate, and lumps or swelling in the scrotum. How to prepare, what happens and what your report means.
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Flexible cystoscopy (camera test of the bladder)
A thin, bendy camera that lets your urologist look inside the bladder, usually in the clinic and awake. Why it is done, what it feels like and what to expect afterwards.
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PSA blood test
What PSA is, what can raise it besides cancer, how to prepare, and what happens if your result is raised.
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Urine tests (dipstick, culture and cytology)
What each urine test can and cannot tell you, and how to give a clean sample.
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MRI of the prostate
What an MRI scan of the prostate shows, how it is done with no radiation, what the reports mean, and how it fits with a biopsy.
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Transrectal ultrasound of the prostate (TRUS)
A short guide to the probe scan of the prostate, and how it can be used during a prostate biopsy.
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PET scan (including PSMA PET)
How a PET scan uses a tracer to show where cells are busy, and how PSMA PET is used for prostate cancer.
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Bone scan
What a bone scan shows, why it is used for cancer spread and bone pain, and what hot spots mean.
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Kidney function blood tests (creatinine and eGFR)
What the kidney blood tests measure, why they are done before scans and operations, and what the results can and cannot show.
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Uroflowmetry and bladder scan (urine flow test)
Two simple tests of how well the bladder empties: a flow test measures how fast urine comes out, and a bladder scan measures what is left behind.
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Urodynamics (bladder pressure test)
A set of bladder tests with thin tubes that measure pressure and show how the bladder stores and empties urine.
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Kidney scans (MAG3 and DMSA)
Two kidney scans: MAG3 shows how well urine drains from each kidney, and DMSA shows kidney tissue and any scarring.
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Retrograde urethrogram (X-ray of the urethra)
An X-ray of the urethra taken with a little dye, used to find narrowing or injury.
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MCUG (X-ray of the bladder while passing urine)
An X-ray test that shows the bladder and urethra while a child fills and passes urine, mainly used to look for reflux.
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KUB X-ray (kidneys, ureters and bladder)
A simple, quick X-ray with no dye, used to look for stones and check where a stone or stent sits.
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24-hour urine collection and stone analysis
How to collect a day's urine, what the test measures, and how a passed or removed stone is analysed.
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Semen analysis (sperm test)
How to give a sample, what the lab checks for number, movement and shape, and what the results can and cannot tell you.
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Questionnaires and diaries in urology
The IPSS for urinary symptoms, the bladder diary, and the IIEF for erections: what they are for and how to fill them in.
More guides will be added over time. If there is a test you would like us to cover, let us know on WhatsApp.