Objective To evaluate the role of high-resolution computer tomography(HRCT)with multiplanar reformation(MPR)in the differential diagnosis of renal papillary calcification and renal calculi.Methods Retrospective study was used upon collecting the clinical data of pilots who were suspected of renal calculi by HRCT and diagnosed by ureteroscopy in the Air Force Medical Center from June of 2017 to October of 2021.MPR was used to analyze and measure the acquired images.According to the results of ureteroscopy,they were divided into renal papillary calcification group and renal calculi group.The sizes(transverse diameter,longitudinal diameter,and difference between transverse and longitudinal diameters)and CT values of the lesions were compared between 2 groups and analyzed.Results Eighteen pilots were included.A total of 33 lesions were detected,including 8 renal papillary calcification and 25 renal calculi.①The transverse diameter of renal papillary calcification lesions was(2.93±0.42)mm,the longitudinal diameter was(3.00±0.41)mm,and the difference between transverse and longitudinal diameters was(0.12±0.81)mm;the transverse diameter of renal calculi lesions was(4.47±2.18)mm,the longitudinal diameter was(4.01±1.49)mm,and difference between longitudinal and transverse diameters was(0.89±0.96)mm.The differences between 2 groups were statistically significant(t=3.78,2.93,3.77,P=0.001,0.007,0.001).②The CT values of renal papillary calcification and renal calculi was(270.87±86.95)HU and(610.74±347.03)HU,respectively,with a statistically significant difference(t=4.32,P<0.001).③The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the transverse diameter,longitudinal diameter and difference between longitudinal and transverse diameters,as well as CT values,was 0.793,0.701,0.894,0.788,respectively;the critical value of the difference between longitudinal and transverse diameters was 0.225 mm,and the Youden's J statistic was 0.745.Its sensitivity and specificity was 87.0%and 87.5%respectively.Conclusions HRCT combined with MPR is helpful to differentiate renal papillary calcification from renal calculi.The diagnostic accuracy is the highest on differentiating the difference between the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the lesion.