[The place of interventional ultrasound in urology]

The search for new methods of diagnosis, treatment and prognosis and their introduction in practice is a stable process in world urologic practice. It was not until after the first echographic apparatuses were produced in the fifties that the introduction of interventional ultrasound in urology became feasible. The authors set themselves the task to study and summarize the possibilities of this method for treatment of diseases of the kidneys, upper urinary tract, bladder and prostate. Renal cysts were diagnosed by ultrasound in 312 patients; in 229 of them percutaneous puncture was performed under ultrasound control. To reduce relapses, different sclerosing substances were applied, peak success being obtained with tetraolean. For establishing the exact cause of obstruction of the upper urinary tract the authors used antegrade pyelography under ultrasound control in 92 patients. Percutaneous nephrostomy for drainage of the upper urinary tract, a new endourologic operation was performed in 67 patients. To raise the radical approach to transurethral resection of the prostate and of bladder tumors, intraoperative transurethral ultrasound control was adopted for all patients operated by this technique.