[Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy in the treatment of calculi in horseshoe kidneys. Our experience]

Abstract

Thirty-one (31 renal units (RU) were treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotrity (ESWL) in 27 patients with lithiasis in horseshoe kidneys (HK). Treatment was done in an out-patients environment and in two thirds of cases the patient was placed in prone-decubitus. An average of 2.42 sessions per patient (range 1-8) were performed freeing 15 RU, 10 with removable residues, and failure in 6:3 with non-removable residues in all asymptomatic cases, 2 where fragmentation was insufficient and 1 renal annulment post-ESWL. Overall, results were "good" in 80.6% cases, with a significant relationship between size of lithiasis and therapeutical results. Thus, for < or = 2 cm calculi the result was good in 100% cases but a greater number of cleaning were required in those < 1 cm (62.5 vs 46.15%). On the contrary, "therapeutic failures" were limited to just > 2 cm calculi. It can therefore be concluded that most patients with lithiasis in HK, specifically when calculi are < 2 cm, can be treated primarily and in monotherapy with ESWL.