BACKGROUND & AIMS There are limited prospective data and long-term follow-up on cholangioscopy-directed management of difficult bile duct stones. The study objectives were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of cholangioscopy-directed lithotripsy in patients who had failed standard endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) techniques and to determine the stone recurrence rate. MET...

BACKGROUND Endoscopic papillotomy is successful in more than 95% of the cases of choledocholithiasis. For patients with difficult bile duct stones not responding to mechanical lithotripsy, different methods for stone fragmentation have been developed. AIM To compare the results of laser lithotripsy with a stone-tissue recognizing system, when guided by fluoroscopy only or by cholangioscopy. ...

A 31-year-old male with true hermaphroditism and a 46, XX karyotype who underwent gonadectomy and extirpation of the internal sex organs at the age of 4 had a large stone 4 cm in diameter in the residual male vagina. He complained of pain on micturition, hematuria, and rectal pressure. Urethroscopy and retrograde urethrography disclosed an ostium of the male vagina in the prostatic urethra, and...

CONTEXT Though uncommon, pancreatic duct stones can cause significant discomfort and morbidity. Endoscopic removal of pancreatic stones may decrease intraductal pressure by augmenting ductal drainage. Endoscopy is shown to be most effective when used early in the course of the disease. Endoscopic methods such as mechanical lithotripsy are often successful in removing the majority of pancreatic ...

BACKGROUND Tamsulosin is an α-1A-specific blocker which induces selective relaxation of ureteral smooth muscle with subsequent inhibition of ureteral spasms and dilatation of the ureteral lumen and facilitates stone expelling. OBJECTIVES In this study we aimed to assess the efficacy of tamsulosin for improving the success rate of ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URS) for lower ureteral stones. PA...

Objectives: To measure the utility of patients with ureteral stones under various medical regimes and to identify significant factors affecting utility for various health states. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to measure the utility of 89 patients on each health state related to the clinical management of ureteral stones. Health states with respect to intervention and treatment...

OBJECTIVE To determine the efficacy of peroral electrohydraulic lithotripsy performed with an extra large duodenoscope (outside diameter 14.8 mm) and a choledochoscope with a diameter of 4.1 mm (Olympus "mother and baby" endoscope system) in the removal of very large stones from the common bile duct. DESIGN Prospective study of patients with giant stones in the common bile duct that were resi...

PURPOSE We performed a pilot study to assess whether renal shock wave lithotripsy influences metabolic syndrome onset and severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS Three-month-old juvenile female Ossabaw miniature pigs were treated with shock wave lithotripsy (2,000 shock waves at 24 kV with 120 shock waves per minute in 2) or sham shock wave lithotripsy (no shock waves in 2). Shock waves were targeted...

PURPOSE This systematic review was performed to assess the necessity and complications of stenting before extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the management of upper urinary stones. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic research of PubMed®, EMBASE® and the Cochrane Library was performed to identify all randomized controlled trials. The comparisons were about the outcomes and complications o...

From Sep. 1984 to Aug. 1990,99 patients were treated for ureteral stone using the urekroscope. In five patients ureteroscopy was repeated for a second stone. In one patient the procedure was diagnostic in nature and in the rest of the patients it had a curative value. In 60 patients the stone was removed by electrohydraulic and basket combination and in25 cases, dilatation alone was enough...