title: The current role of percutaneous chemolysis in the management of urolithiasis: review and results.
abstract: The treatment of urolithiasis has changed dramatically over the past several decades. Novel technologies have led to new management protocols. Percutaneous chemolysis as a primary or adjuvant treatment for urinary tract stones has widely been neglected. We present our own experience with it and discuss it in the light of an extensive literature review. From a MEDLINE search on percutaneous chemolysis we evaluated the most important studies, a total of 58 articles, 43 case series and 15 review articles. In our unit between 2001 and 2011, 29 patients (mean age 62 years) with infectious staghorn calculi were treated with adjuvant percutaneous chemolysis post-percutaneous nephrolithotripsy. There were 17 women, with 10 complete and 14 partial staghorn stones (mean size 32 mm). Patients were generally deemed at high risk to undergo another procedure in the future. Suby G solution was used following an established protocol. Sixteen patients (55.1 %) were stone free after chemolysis, eight stones showed partial dissolution, half of them with so-called "insignificant" residual fragments <4 mm. Patients with residual stones underwent SWL. Mean follow-up was 5.25 years (1-11). One stone-free patient (6 %) and three of eight patients (37.5 %) with residual fragments post local chemolysis, developed new stones during follow-up. The often neglected percutaneous chemolysis represents a significant and effective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Endourology and Stone Services, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Stefanos
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kachrilas
authors.forename: Athanasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papatsoris
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bach
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bourdoumis
authors.forename: Faruquz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaman
authors.forename: Junaid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Masood
authors.forename: Noor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buchholz
mesh_terms: D002118:Calcium / Q000737:chemistry; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002951:Citrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003553:Cystine / Q000737:chemistry; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008096:Lithotripsy / Q000379:methods; D008277:Magnesium Oxide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009403:Nephrostomy, Percutaneous / Q000379:methods; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000737:chemistry; D052878:Urolithiasis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D004338:Drug Combinations; C050615:Suby's G solution; D014527:Uric Acid; D008277:Magnesium Oxide; D003553:Cystine; D002119:Calcium Carbonate; D002118:Calcium