Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

In the procedure intravenous pyelogram (IVP), the patient is injected with radiopaque dye, and x-rays are taken as the dye travels through the urinary tract. This procedure is performed to confirm the presence of kidney stones, although some stones may be too small to see. Newer imaging techniques (helical CT scans and ultrasounds) have largely replaced IVPs at many medical centers.

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Review Date: 03/10/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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