ESWL as the treatment for lithiasis in horseshoe kidney

Thirteen patients with lithiasis and horseshoe kidney were evaluated (4 cases with bilateral stones). Fifteen kidney units were treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), and in 2 cases, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCN) was used. The excellent results achieved with ESWL (80%) and the low incidence of complications (2 cases of nephritic colics and 1 case of acute pyelonephritis), lead us to propose ESWL as the therapy of choice for lithiasis in patients with horseshoe kidneys. PCN alone or in association with ESWL would be used in cases with large lithiasic masses. Conventional surgery would only be indicated in those cases which due to their high degree of complexity or difficult endourological access prevent the use of the above-mentioned techniques.