Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy for small symptomatic renal calculi: is it effective?

Renal calculi with a diameter of less than 5 mm can pass spontaneously. However, some patients have small symptomatic renal calculi for more than 3 months. We evaluated the results of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in 38 patients with such stones. Patients presented with loin pain, hematuria,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inUrologia internationalis Vol. 47; no. 1; p. 12
Main Authors Hendrikx, A J, Bierkens, A F, Debruyne, F M
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland 1991
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Contrast Media
Female
Fever - etiology
Hematuria - etiology
Humans
Kidney Calculi - complications
Kidney Calculi - diagnostic imaging
Kidney Calculi - therapy
Lithotripsy - adverse effects
Male
Middle Aged
Pain - drug therapy
Pain - etiology
Radiographic Image Enhancement
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Summary:Renal calculi with a diameter of less than 5 mm can pass spontaneously. However, some patients have small symptomatic renal calculi for more than 3 months. We evaluated the results of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in 38 patients with such stones. Patients presented with loin pain, hematuria, infection, or a combination of complaints. Average stone size was 18 mm2. After a wait of 3 months for spontaneous evacuation without success, all patients were treated with a Siemens Lithostar. Three months after treatment, 19 patients (50%) were completely free of stones, but 7 still had complaints; of the 19 patients with residual fragments, 8 (42%) were free of complaints. Both evacuation and resolution of complaints were achieved in only 12 of the 38 patients (32%). We conclude that one should be reluctant to treat small renal calculi, because spontaneous evacuation occurs in about 80% and the results of treatment are restricted.
ISSN:0042-1138
DOI:10.1159/000282177