The etiology and treatment of delayed bleeding following percutaneous lithotripsy.

In 1,032 percutaneous stone manipulations the incidence of significant, documented or presumed vascular injuries was 0.9 per cent. Seven cases of pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula or vascular lacerations were found, all of which were diagnosed angiographically. The patients were treated successfully with transcatheter embolization techniques. Two additional patients experienced delayed bleeding, presumably from vascular injuries, which resolved spontaneously with conservative therapy. Arteriography should be performed in these patients with serious postoperative bleeding. Embolization of the peripheral vessel is preferable to flank exploration.