[Treatment of the lower pole nephrolithiasis]

The purpose of the study was to compare the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy for lower pole nephrolithiasis.

We retrospectively analyzed results of lower pole nephrolithiasis treatment in 396 patients (221 treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy and 175 by percutaneuos nephrolithotomy). We evaluated results of the treatment in the 3 months interval after the procedure in groups classified according to the stone size: <10 mm, 10-20 mm, >20 mm. Stone free status was achieved in these groups after 96 (66%), 43 (38 %) and 2 (25%) shock wave lithotripsies and 48 (84%), 75 (76%) and 25 (74%) percutaneous nepholithotomies. The efficacy irrespective of insignificant residual fragments (< 4 mm) was in 176 (66%) lithotripsies and 156 (82%) single percutaneuos nephrolithotomies.

Percutaneous nephrolithotomy is more effective methods in the treatment for lower pole nephrolithiasis than extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy especially for stone size >10 mm.