Ureterolithiasis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Patients Treated with Single-Use Ureteroscope: A Case Report

BACKGROUND The number of HIV-positive patients is increasing worldwide. Such patients with upper urinary tract stones have been treated primarily with flexible ureteroscopy. CASE REPORT Two patients with HIV and upper urinary tract stones were treated with a single-use digital flexible ureteroscope between July 2021 and January 2022. Both cases were treated by transurethral ureteroscope lithotripsy with a Guangzhou Redpine single-use digital flexible ureteroscope. This is also the first reported case of using a disposable ureteral flexible scope to manage a patient with upper urinary tract stones in combination with HIV. The holmium laser power was set to 0.2-0.6j/20-50 Hz for fragmentation and 1.0-1.5j/10-20 Hz for the dusting of the stones. Renal stones larger than 1 cm were dusted to around 1 cm first, and then a lithotripsy basket was used to remove them. The f5 Polaris Ultra ureteral stent was implanted during the procedure. The operations went smoothly. Four weeks after surgery, CT scans revealed a 4 mm stone remnant in one case, and the ureteral stent was removed in both cases. After 3 months, a kidney, ureter, and bladder X-ray revealed no stones remaining in the case that had earlier shown a 4 mm stone residual. In both cases, the stone composition was made up of calcium oxalate monohydrate and calcium oxalate dihydrate stones. CONCLUSIONS A single-use flexible ureteroscope has a proven clinical benefit in treating HIV-combined upper urinary tract stones. After the operations, there were no urinary infections, bleeding, or other complications in either patient.