Large spontaneous steinstrasse: Our experience and management issues in tertiary care centre

Rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy with a pressure-controlling ureteral access sheath for complex steinstrasse

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy with a pressure-controlling ureteral access sheath (PC-UAS) for complex steinstrasse.

METHODS

Thirty-one consecutive patients (male: 18; female: 13) with steinstrasse were enrolled, six of whom had concurrent kidney stones. The mean cumulative stone size was 2.7 ± 1.3 cm. The patients were treated with rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy using a PC-UAS. The cavity pressure parameters were set as follows: control value at -15 mmHg to -2 mmHg, warning value at 20 mmHg, and limit value at 30 mmHg. The infusion flow rate was set at 150-200 ml/min. A holmium laser (550 μm) was used to powderize the stone at 2.0-2.5 J/pulse with a frequency of 20-30 pulses/s. Analyses included cavity pressure, operative time, stone-free rates, and complications.

RESULTS

Among the 31 patients, 29 were successfully treated with PC-UAS, with nine requiring adjunctive flexible ureteroscopy for stone migration to the kidney. Two procedures were converted to percutaneous nephrolithotomies due to failure of sheath placement. The cavity pressure of all 29 patients was well-maintained below 20 mmHg, with clear vision. The mean operative time was 48.2 ± 17.7 min. No complications, such as ureteral perforation, mucosal avulsion, or hemorrhage, occurred. Two cases of Clavien-Dindo grade I complications occurred. No major complications (Clavien-Dindo grade II-V) occurred. The mean postoperative hospitalization time was 1.7 days. The stone-free rates 1 day and 1 month after surgery were 93.1% and 96.6%, respectively. One patient with residual stones underwent extracorporeal shockwaves.

CONCLUSIONS

Rigid ureteroscopic lithotripsy with PC-UAS can effectively control the cavity pressure, shorten the operation time, and improve the efficiency of broken stones, thus reducing the complication rate.

A Rare Case of Spontaneous Steinstrasse

Spontaneous steinstrasse ("stone street") is a collection of stones within the ureter and is a rare and understudied event. Factors such as infection, altered kidney function, and degree of obstruction are used to define the most adequate therapeutic option. Treatment can be either conservative or surgical. The decision of which depends on the clinical presentation. This paper reports a rare case of a 59-year-old patient with spontaneous steinstrasse examined at a urology clinic. Surgical intervention was required because of altered kidney function. The patient is currently undergoing follow-up for the metabolic investigation.

Bilateral renal hydatid disease associated with complex urolithiasis: A case report

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

The association of bilateral renal hydatid cysts and complex urolithiasis is unprecedented. We herein report the case of a patient presenting with both diseases.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 56-year-old female patient with a history of chronic kidney disease presented with right flank pain. Imaging revealed bilateral kidney cystic lesions associated with right spontaneous large ureteric streinstrasse and multiple calyceal stones. The right sided mass was exophytic and measured 56 mm and the left sided lesion measured 35 mm. Semi rigid right ureteroscopy was performed along with a right partial nephrectomy and a right pyelotomy which allowed for renal and ureteral stone extraction. Histopathology report concluded to a hydatid cyst. The decision was to monitor the left-sided lesion.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

The association of bilateral renal hydatidosis and right urolithiasis is unprecedented in literature. The lesion presented a differential diagnosis problem with a cystic malignancy. Thus, the decision was to perform a right partial nephrectomy. The combination of ureteroscopy and a single right flank incision was sufficient to treat the renal lesion as well as to obtain stone free status. Once the histopathological report concluded to a hydatid cyst, the decision was to monitor the left sided lesion. A more aggressive approach could be proposed however it would have been detrimental to the patient's renal function.

CONCLUSION

When presented with an association of bilateral renal masses and urolithiasis, a methodical step-by-step approach is necessary in order to treat both diseases while minimizing patient morbidity.