[Treatment of staghorn calculi--ESWL monotherapy]

We investigated 41 cases (44 kidneys) of renal staghorn calculi treated in our hospital between November, 1988 and July, 1992. The efficacy of each treatment was 83.3% for extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) monotherapy (27 kidneys), 40% for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) with ESWL (5), 100% for dissolution with ESWL (6), 50% for pyelolithotomy with ESWL (2), 100% for nephrolithotomy with ESWL (1), and 100% for only dissolution (1). In the ESWL monotherapy group except for 3 cases that had complete staghorn calculi with severe caliectasis, the efficacy was between 70% and 100%, and the term of hospitalization was only about 1 month. The complications of ESWL monotherapy were stone street itself and high fever caused by it. However, renal function, could be successfully preserved by the timely drainage with D-J stent or nephrostomy tube. Thus, in most cases of staghorn calculi as well as other urolithiasis, ESWL monotherapy seemed to be more effective and safe than combined therapy of PNL and ESWL.