The use of rigid ureteroscope in the treatment of ureteral steinstrasse after extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy of renal calculi: Case report

INTRODUCTION: Exracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the first choice for patients with urolithiasis. Increased use of endoscopic techniques provided increased use of ureteroscopic lithotripsy in the treatment of stones located in distal ureter, as well as ESWL. Rigid ureteroscope is usually used in the management of distal ureter stones, while middle and upper ureter stones should be treated by flexible ureteroscope or ESWL. At Urology Clinic in Novi Sad, ureteroscopy has been used since 1986, and more than 1000 procedures have been performed with success rate of over 95% (100% when we were able to reach the stone). The aim of this report is to show the destruction of stone along the ureter, using a rigid ureteroscope, shortly after the ESWL treatment of kidney stones. CASE REPORT: A 46-year-old woman was admitted to the Clinic with "steinstrasse" along the ureter, two weeks following ESWL of kidney stones. Primarily, she underwent ESWL without J-J stenting, at another urologic department. On admission to our Clinic, she complained of pain, nausea, mild temperature. An urgent diagnosis was carried out and left sided "steinstrasse" with hydronephrosis was confirmed by ultrasound, plain X-ray, laboratory findings. Ureteroscopy was performed under spinal anesthesia by rigid ureteroscope and the stone was destroyed along the ureter, even the pyelon was explored at the end of the procedure. The patient was advised to take a lot of fluids with diuretics and 80% of stones were eliminated in the first week after the procedure. At the first control, a month later, the patient was stone free. CONCLUSION: Rigid ureteroscope is a therapeutic option for distal ureteral stones, just as ESWL with comparable and reproducible results. This case confirms the fact that in strictly selected cases, and careful work of skilled urologists, rigid ureteroscope can be used for successful stone destruction in the middle and upper ureter.