title: Horseshoe kidney: does it really have any negative impact on surgical outcomes of percutaneous nephrolithotomy?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the stone-free rate and complications between horseshoe and normal kidneys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between December 1997 and June 2008, a total of 2401 patients with 2618 renal units underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). During this period, we retrospectively reviewed the data of 46 patients with 50 (1.9%) renal units with horseshoe kidneys treated by PCNL. We compared the success and complication rate in horseshoe kidney and normal kidney.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty PCNL were performed in the above-mentioned 46 patients with a mean age of 41.6 years. The average stone burden ranged from 100 to 4900 mm(2) (mean, 644 +/- 135 mm(2)). The stones were located in the renal pelvis in 13 (26%), calices in 17 (34%), and in both in 11 kidneys (22%). A single tract was used in 42 kidneys (84%), and 2 tracts were created in the remaining 8 (16%). Major complications were seen in 8 PCNL procedures (16%). A detailed comparison between horseshoe and normal kidneys showed that stone burden, operation time, stone-free rates, and auxiliary procedure rates were similar. The only statistically significant difference was detected in the number of access, which is more in normal kidneys. Logistic regression analysis did not reveal that horseshoe kidney did not have any negative effect on success after PCNL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the anatomic abnormalities, PCNL is a safe and effective treatment option for calculi both in the horseshoe kidney and the normal kidney with the similar success and complications rates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey. eozden@omu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ozden
authors.forename: Cenk Yucel
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Bilen
authors.forename: Mehmet Necmettin
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Mercimek
authors.forename: Bekir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Saban
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarikaya
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sahin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult