Long-term follow-up after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in children.

In 34 children (25 girls and 9 boys), aged 1-14 years, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed for renal and ureteral calculi between March 1985 and December 31, 1989. The patients were treated with the HM3-Dornier lithotripter under general anesthesia. Of the 34 children, 24 with an interval of more than 12 months since ESWL were called in for control check up, 17 of them ultimately came. Seven were lost for long-term follow-up as they moved out of the area. The children were free of urinary symptoms and without urinary tract infections. Creatinine was normal and urinalyses were negative in all 17 children. 16/17 children were stone free and had normal blood pressure, 1 patient with a polycystic kidney on the left nontreated side already demonstrated elevated pretreatment blood pressure. Radioisotope examinations with separate clearance tests gave results in the normal range in 14/17 patients. The sonographic findings on the longitudinal and transverse diameter of the treated and untreated kidneys did not show marked differences as they all remain below the 5% limit.