[Definitive endourological treatment in urothelial tumors of the upper urinary tract].

OBJECTIVES

We reviewed our series of upper urinary tract tumors submitted to endoscopic management as definitive treatment.

METHODS

The series comprised 18 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the upper urinary tract; 14 were treated by the percutaneous approach and 4 by ureteroscopy. All of them were single, papillary and low grade tumors. In 17 patients we analyzed the nephrostomy track for local tumoral seeding.

RESULTS

The mean follow up was 29 months. Fourteen patients remain free of recurrent disease (5-84 months); 2 patients recurred and 2 others were diagnostic errors. No evidence of tumoral seeding was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Percutaneous or ureteroscopic surgery can achieve cure in selected cases. Local recurrence outside the urinary tract ascribable to percutaneous surgery appears to be unlikely.