Extracorporeal Shock-Wave Lithotripsy in Renal and Ureteric Calculi: Role in Resource Poor Developing Countries in Modern Era

Introduction: Extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL)is an established non-invasive treatment modality for renaland ureteric stones. However, treatment outcome and efficacydepends on multiple factors like stone size, location and typeof machine used. We aimed to assess efficacy of ESWL asa primary treatment modality in renal and ureteric stones ina busy hospital setting having significant renal stone diseaseburden.Material and methods:1187 patients who underwent ESWLbetween January 2015 to December 2016 in our departmentwere included in the study. Patients with nephrolithiasis andureterolithiasis having functional kidney, without any absolutecontraindication to ESWL were included. Dornier Med TechCompact Delta 2 machines were used for all the patients.Stone localization was done using both fluoroscopic andultrasound- guided methods by same expert.Results: Out of 1187 patients,887 patients had solitary renalstones,170 had solitary ureteral calculus and 130 patients hadmultiple renal calculi. Stone size ranged from 8mm–20mm.Renal pelvic stones, upper calycial stones and proximalureteric stones had stone free rate of 84%,86% and 82.5%respectively. 89% and 84% of patients were stone free whensize of stone was between 8-12mm, it decreased to 77% and73% when size increased between 13-16mm for kidney andureteric stones respectively.Conclusions: ESWL is an effective primary treatmentmodality for appropriately selected patients with stone sizeless than 2 cm in favorable location with a normal functioningkidney. Use of both fluoroscopic and ultrasound imagingimproves localization of stones thus improving success. Itis an important modality in hands of urologist treating hugevolume of urolithiasis patients in busy hospitals with longwaiting list and with limited resources.

Minimally invasive procedures for urological disorders in pregnant patients: our experience

Background: Urological disorders like stone disease, pyonephrosis secondary to obstruction and trauma are common during pregnancy with global incidence of 1 in 250 to 1 in 3000. These diseases can complicate any pregnancy and timely diagnosis and management is of utmost importance for safety of the mother and fetus. Managing these cases entails morbidity and minimally invasive procedures avoiding anesthesia have definite advantage.Methods: It was an observational study. Pregnant patients with nephrolithiasis, pyonephrosis, complicated post-traumatic ureteropelvic junction (PUJ) obstruction (PUJO) and trauma were included in the study.Results: Out of total 84 cases, 45 required intervention. Percutaneous nephrostomy (PCN) for pyonephrosis secondary to PUJO and obstructed PUJ calculus was done in 11 and 14 cases respectively. Bilateral PCN for bilateral nephrolithiasis was done in 7 cases. Silicon double-J stenting for ureteric calculus was done in 13 cases. One case of spontaneous fornicial rupture of kidney without stone disease was managed conservatively as were 4 cases of trauma with concomitant renal injury, 18 cases of non-obstructive renal stones and 16 cases of pyelonephritis. Seven patients lost follow-up. One case each of pyonephrosis and polytrauma had fetal death at term unrelated to urological cause. In rest 75 patients, primary pathology was tackled after 6-8 weeks of delivery.Conclusions: Urological diseases during pregnancy are not an uncommon entity and can pose risk to both mother and fetus. With good clinical vigil, use of minimally invasive procedures, close monitoring and follow up, these patients can be safely managed without any adverse events to the fetus and mother.

Comparison between peak systolic velocity of the inferior thyroid artery and technetium-99m pertechnetate thyroid uptake in differentiating Graves' disease from thyroiditis

ABSTRACT Objectives The differentiation between the various etiologies of thyrotoxicosis, including those with hyperthyroidism (especially Graves' disease [GD], the most common cause of hyperthyroidism) and without hyperthyroidism (like thyroiditis), is an important step in planning specific therapy. Technetium-99m (99mTc) pertechnetate thyroid scanning is the gold standard in differentiating GD from thyroiditis. However, this technique has limited availability, is contraindicated in pregnancy and lactation, and is not helpful in cases with history of recent exposure to excess iodine. The aim of this study was to identify the diagnostic value of the peak systolic velocity of the inferior thyroid artery (PSV-ITA) assessed by color-flow Doppler ultrasound (CFDU) and compare the sensitivity and specificity of this method versus 99mTc pertechnetate thyroid uptake. Subjects and methods We prospectively analyzed 65 patients (46 with GD and 19 with thyroiditis). All patients were evaluated with clinical history and physical examination and underwent 99mTc pertechnetate scanning and measurement of TRAb levels and PSV-ITA values by CFDU. The diagnosis was based on findings from signs and symptoms, physical examination, and 99mTc pertechnetate uptake. Results Patients with GD had significantly higher mean PSV-ITA values than those with thyroiditis. At a mean PSV-ITA cutoff value of 30 cm/sec, PSV-ITA discriminated GD from thyroiditis with a sensitivity of 91% and specificity of 89%. Conclusion Measurement of PSV-ITA by CFDU is a good diagnostic approach to discriminate between GD and thyroiditis, with sensitivity and specificity values comparable to those of 99mTc pertechnetate thyroid uptake.