Cystinuria is a rare cause of renal calculi, whose management presents a complex problem mainly due to the hardness and high recurrence rate of cystine stones. During the period 1987–1991, 28 established cases of cystine calculi were treated by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) and percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (PCNL). These cases were divided into 5 groups, according to the position and size of the stones, and each group then followed a specific regimen, either ESWL monotherapy or a combined treatment comprising an initial ESWL treatment followed by PCNL or vice versa. ESWL monotherapy provided satisfactory results only in the group with pelvic stones (54.5% success rate), with 2.16 stone treatments/renal unit, and only with calculi smaller than 2.5 cm. The groups with multiple stones or staghorn calculi were treated with a combined treatment of ESWL and PCNL and had success rates of 50 and 67%, respectively. However, the group in which PCNL was followed by ESWL showed a clear advantage over the group in which ESWL was administered before PCNL, since it required a smaller number of ESWL treatments (1,5 stone treatments/renal unit as compared to 4.3 stone treatments/renal unit). Finally, attempts for ESWL in situ in the few cases of ureteral stones proved unsuccessful.

Keywords:
Cystine, Urolithiasis, Extracorporeal shock wave lithotropsy, Percutaneous nephrolithotripsy
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1996 S. Karger AG, Basel
1996
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.