Ureteral calculi: natural history and treatment in an era of advanced technology.
Patients with ureteral stones may be managed expectantly, or treated with a variety of invasive and noninvasive techniques depending on stone composition, size and location, expectations of the patient and experience of the surgeon. Of 378 patients with documented ureteral calculi 60% passed the stones spontaneously. Passage rates from the proximal, middle and distal ureter were 22, 46 and 71%, respectively. Basketing under fluoroscopic control of distal stones was successful in 79% of the attempts and for those in whom this approach failed ureteroscopy was performed, with a success rate of 90%. When ureteroscopy was used as the initial treatment of distal stones removal was achieved in 81% of the patients. These statistics serve as a reminder that traditional therapy of ureteral stones has not lost its role in contemporary practice.
Morse
R M
RM
Division of Urology, Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio.
Resnick
M I
MI
D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014514:Ureteral Calculi / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*