[Should we consider a complementary treatment after a renal colic drained by an ureteral stent?]

The aim of the study was to evaluate if only ureteral stent removing after complicated renal colic (RC) could prevent from complementary treatment (shock-wawe lithortripsy or ureteroscopy).

Data from 95 patients, 39 women and 56 men, who had an ureteral stent for complicated RC from 2005 to 2010 were retrospectively collected. Mean age was 46.4 ± 17.2 years. After the initial management, another hospitalization was organized where patients had ureteral stent removing under local anesthesia, then an abdominal CT-scan without injection and complementary treatment of ureteral stones (none or ESWL or ureteroscopy). Parameters studied were age, sex, stone size, location of calcul. Quantitative values were compared with Student's t test. Qualitative values were compared with the Chi(2). P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Mean duration between the two hospitalizations were 1.58 ± 1.84 months. Sixty-one patients (64.2%) had no more urolithiasis. In these patients, mean size of urolithiasis was 5.85 ± 2.33 mm. Location of urolithiasis in distal, mild and proximal ureter was 77%, 3% and 20% respectively. Thirty-four patients (35.8%) had persistant lithiasis after CT-scan. Location of stone in distal, mild and proximal ureter was 17.5%, 5.8% and 76.7% respectively.

After management of complicated renal colic by ureteral stent, 64% of patients had spontaneous elimination of stones after removing of ureteral stent, especially in women and pelvic ureter.