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Effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on kidney growth in children

A Fayad1, M G El-Sheikh, H El-Fayoumy

  • 1Urology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

The Journal of Urology
|July 24, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) does not impede normal kidney growth in pediatric patients. This finding holds true regardless of the number of stones or the child's age at the time of SWL treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Urology
  • Nephrology
  • Medical Imaging

Background:

  • Renal stone disease is a significant concern in pediatric populations.
  • Shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) is a common treatment modality for pediatric kidney stones.
  • Concerns exist regarding the potential impact of SWL on renal growth and development in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effect of shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) on kidney growth in children.
  • To compare renal growth rates in children treated with SWL to a control group.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective controlled study involving 150 children with renal stones undergoing SWL (group A) and 100 healthy children (group B).
  • Abdominal ultrasound was used to measure bipolar renal length at baseline, 6 months (group A), and 1 year (both groups).

Main Results:

  • Kidney size significantly increased in the SWL group at 6 months and 1 year post-treatment.
  • Renal growth rates did not differ significantly between children treated with SWL and normal controls.
  • Factors such as patient age, number of SWL sessions, and stone burden did not impact the rate of kidney growth.

Conclusions:

  • Shock wave lithotripsy does not have a detrimental effect on the normal growth trajectory of kidneys in children.
  • The efficacy and safety of SWL for pediatric kidney stones are supported, with no observed negative impact on renal development.
Abstract

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