Radiologic contribution to the management of patients undergoing extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

Since its first clinical application in 1980, the use of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has dramatically changed the treatment of urinary tract stone disease. More than 80% of patients with urolithiasis will undergo ESWL as a first line therapy. Detection of stones, appropriateness of ESWL treatment, successful stone therapy, termination of the ESWL procedure, and evaluation of treatment complications are all dependent on radiologic input. The application of adjuvant interventional radiologic percutaneous techniques will extend the use of ESWL to an additional 15% of patients and reduce the need for surgical intervention. Additionally, percutaneous techniques can be used to improve success rates in problematic cases and to treat complications related to the ESWL procedure. This article discusses the pre- and postprocedural radiologic evaluation of patients undergoing ESWL. Adjuvant interventional radiologic techniques useful in the management of these patients are also discussed.