Usefulness of fiberoptic pyeloureteroscope in the diagnosis of the upper urinary tract lesions.

Fiberscopes for the observation of the upper urinary tract (pyeloureteroscopes) have improved markedly in terms of resolution and durability. With these improved pyeloureteroscopes, transurethral observation of upper urinary tract lesions was performed 42 times in 40 cases from April 1979 to May 1983. The guide tube method (J. Urol. 112: 176-178, 1974) was used for insertion of the fiberscope into the ureter. At present, our transurethrally passed pyeloureteroscope is useful in the diagnosis of some upper urinary tract lesions which are not visualized or confirmed by other current image diagnostic procedures. However, it should be noted that it does not visualize all parts of the upper urinary tract - especially the lower calyx. Insertion to the target is also sometimes difficult and we must be careful in the interpretation of findings because of inevitable image distortion and the similarity between inflammation and urothelial tumor.