More efficient patient management, including a decrease in the length of hospital stay and a decrease in patient medical cost, may be achieved in many instances by use of the CT scanner. The clinical efficacy of this noninvasive imaging technique must continue to be judged by comparison with conventional uroradiologic techniques and careful cost analysis, but the CT scan is becoming an accepted means of assessment and diagnosis of urinary tract problems. As the technology continues to improve so will our ability to diagnose and define the extent of disease within the urinary tract.