What is a loopogram?
In patients who have undergone cystectomy (usually performed for muscle-invasive bladder cancer), the ureters are connected to a loop of ileum known as an ileal conduit. The ileal conduit is excluded from the intestinal stream and is connected to the anterior abdominal wall through a stoma; a urinary drainage bag is applied to the stoma site to collect urine. A loopogram is performed to evaluate the conduit and the upper urinary tracts. A catheter is placed in the ileal conduit, and contrast material is injected under fluoroscopic guidance until it refluxes in a retrograde fashion into the ureters and pyelocalyceal systems.
