[Kidney diseases most often considered as indications for nephrectomy].

Nephrectomy is a radical operation successfully used over more than a century. It should be resorted to only in exceptional situations whenever an organ salvaging operation is precarious for the patient's health (T Patrashkov, 1980). The indications for nephrectomy depend on the type of disease, extent of renal damage, state of the second kidney and the patient's general condition, established by the basic examination methods in urology (T Patrashkov 1982). The study covers 388 nephrectomies in cases presenting diverse diseases of the kidney and ureter, diagnosed and treated in the Department of Urology--University Hospital "Alexandrovska" in the period 1990 to 1995. The commonest causes leading to nephrectomy comprise: 1. Neoplasms of kidney and ureter--134 (34.54%). 1.1. Parenchymal tumors--116 (29.90%)/ 1.2. Papillary tumors--18 (4.64%). 2. Pyonephrosis--88 (22.68%). 3. Nephrolithiasis (presence of renal calculi)--53 (13.66%). 4. Secondary operations of the kidney and ureter--46 (11.86%). 5. Hydronephrosis--38 (9.80%). 6. Anomalies (hypoplasia)--8 (2.06%). 7. Cystic diseases--7 (1.80%). 8. Tuberculosis of kidney--6 (1.55%). 9. Renovasal hypertension--4 (1.02%). 10. Nephrectomy for other diseases--4 (1.02%). As shown by the results the rate of nephrectomy undertaken for renal malignancy is still the highest which is by no means considered as a favourable diagnostic sign.