A Cystogram is an examination of the bladder and lower urinary tract that uses fluoroscopy and a contrast material. When the bladder is filled with and then emptied of a water-soluble contrast material, the radiologist is able to view and assess the anatomy and function of the bladder and lower urinary tract. This examination is often recommended after a urinary tract infection to check for a condition known as vesicoureteral (VU) reflux.

What to Expect During the Exam

You are asked to change into a hospital gown. Once you enter the exam room, the technologist explains the procedure and asks you pertinent medical history questions before injecting contrast material. After cleaning the genital area, a small flexible catheter is inserted through the urethra, a tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body, into the bladder with a water-soluble contrast material. The radiologist takes images using the fluoroscopic while the bladder is filling. A final x-ray is taken when the patient has voided completely.

Voiding Cystourethrogram (VCUG)- Follows the same procedure with one difference. Toward the end of the procedure, you are asked to urinate while the radiographs are being taken. VCUGs are most often performed on children. A child life specialist and or technologist explains the procedure to the family. For more information regarding radiation dose for children visit www.imagegently.com.

This exam requires no special preparation. You may be asked to remove some of your clothes and to wear a gown during the exam. Note: Women should always inform their physician or technologist if there is a possibility they are pregnant or breast-feeding.

A radiologist, a physician specially trained to diagnose conditions and diseases, interprets the results of the exam. The radiologist sends an interpretation of your results to your primary care physician. Your doctor discusses these results with you and explains what they mean in relation to your health.

Where Can I Find Out More?