Metallic ureteral stents in malignant ureteral obstruction: short-term results and radiological features predicting stent failure in patients with non-urological malignancies.
OBJECTIVE
To provide short-term result of the metallic ureteral stent in patients with malignant ureteral obstruction and identify radiological findings predicting stent failure.


METHODS
The records of all patients with non-urological malignant diseases who have received metallic ureteral stents from July 2009 to March 2012 for ureteral obstruction were reviewed. Stent failure was detected by clinical symptoms and imaging studies. Survival analysis was used to estimate patency rates and factors predicting stent failure.


RESULTS
A total of 74 patients with 130 attempts of stent insertion were included. A total of 113 (86.9 %) stents were inserted successfully and 103 (91.2 %) achieved primary patency. After excluding cases without sufficient imaging data, 94 stents were included in the survival analysis. The median functional duration of the 94 stents was 6.2 months (range 3-476 days). Obstruction in abdominal ureter (p = 0.0279) and lymphatic metastasis around ureter (p = 0.0398) were risk factors for stent failure. The median functional durations of the stents for abdominal and pelvic obstructions were 4.5 months (range 3-263 days) and 6.5 months (range 4-476 days), respectively. The median durations of the stents with and without lymphatic metastasis were 5.3 months (range 4-398 days) and 7.8 months (range 31-476 days), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Metallic ureteral stents are effective and safe in relieving ureteral obstructions resulting from non-urological malignancies, and abdominal ureteral obstruction and lymphatic metastasis around ureter were associated with shorter functional duration.
Department of Urology, National Taiwan University Hospital, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, No.1, Changde St., Zhongzheng Dist., 10048, Taipei, Taiwan.
Po-Ming
PM
Chow
Jui-Shan
JS
Hsu
Shuo-Meng
SM
Wang
Hong-Jheng
HJ
Yu
Yeong-Shiau
YS
Pu
Kao-Lang
KL
Liu
D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015607:Stents; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014513:Ureter / Q000601:surgery*; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*