[Management of malignant ureteral obstruction.]

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Oncology
• Medical Devices

Background:

• Malignant ureteral obstruction (MUO) presents complex management challenges.
• Various therapeutic alternatives exist for internal urinary diversion in MUO.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze therapeutic options for malignant ureteral obstruction.
• To evaluate the short- and long-term outcomes of different treatment modalities for MUO.

Main Methods:

• Bibliographic search of PubMed and Google Scholar for MUO treatments.
• Analysis of relevant reviews, original manuscripts, and citations up to April 2016.

Main Results:

• Polymeric double J stents are cost-effective but have higher failure rates (0-35% early, 14-49% late).
• Percutaneous nephrostomy is safe but can impact quality of life.
• Metallic stents (Resonance®, Memokath 051®) demonstrate variable but potentially lower failure rates compared to polymeric stents.

Conclusions:

• Outcomes for MUO treatments are heterogeneous with low evidence levels.
• Metallic stents may offer advantages over polymeric stents, but differences require further study.
• Prospective, multicenter trials are essential for guiding stent selection in MUO.