title: The management of staghorn calculi in children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review reports focusing on the surgical treatment of staghorn stones in children, as despite all the improvements in the surgical treatment of paediatric urolithiasis the management of staghorn calculi still represents a challenging problem in urology practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate current knowledge about treating staghorn calculi in children, we searched PubMed for relevant articles published between 1991 and 2011, using a combination of related keywords, i.e. staghorn stone, child, kidney calculi, surgical treatment, electrohydraulic shockwave therapy (ESWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and open surgery. Reports relating to the treatment of paediatric stone disease in general (open surgery, PCNL, ESWL) were also searched with the same method. Additional references were obtained from the reference list of full-text reports.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although open surgery had been widely used in the past for treating such stones in children, currently it has only limited indications in highly selected patients. Current published data clearly indicate that, in experienced hands, both PCNL and ESWL are now effective methods for treating staghorn calculi in children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to advanced techniques and instrumentation, it is now possible to successfully treat staghorn calculi in children, with very limited safety concerns. Currently, while PCNL is recommended as the first-line surgical treatment, ESWL, open surgery and/or combined methods are valuable but secondary options in the treatment of paediatric staghorn calculi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kartal Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Rahim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horuz
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Yeditepe University Medical School, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sarica
keywords: Child; ESPU, European Society of Paediatric Urology; Kidney calculi; PCNL, percutaneous nephrolithotomy; Staghorn; Treatment