Renal papillary necrosis is a multifactorial entitiy that encompasses a wide range of consecuences, including end-stage renal impairment or even death. Its appearance on intravenous pyelography pictures reveals multiple patterns of papillary excavation, fairly well defined in traditional literature. With the advent of multislice computed tomography urography these findings have been refined and new radiological signs such as detection of early renal medullary changes, among others, have been added. The application of this imaging modality may translate into significant short-term improvements in the evolution and prognosis of these patients. This paper is intended to provide both a reviewing and an updating of renal papillary necrosis imaging issues.
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