Use of image enhancement during lithotripsy.
Renal excursion during breathing is inevitable and is a cause of poor localization during extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (SWL), which in theory might lead to poor treatment results. Eighty-one patients underwent lithotripsy treatment with and without the use of an image enhancement system designed for use with the Dornier MPL9000 lithotripter. This device contains a memory incorporated into a separate differential grayscale monitor, which allows the stone image to be stored. Shockwave release is enabled only when this image corresponds to the real-time image on the lithotripter ultrasound monitor. No improvement in success rates was found using this system, although upper-pole stones appeared to be fragmented more successfully. Overall, the results were favorable in both groups after a single treatment. Further work is needed to establish whether image enhancement is capable of improving the success rates and reducing the side effects of lithotripsy by better targeting.
Dawson
C
C
Department of Urology, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London, England.
Corry
D A
DA
Bowsher
W G
WG
Nockler
I B
IB
Whitfield
H N
HN
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography