No abstract

We present 56 patients with urethral calculi. In males the commonest location was the posterior urethra; 46 patients complained of dysuria but urinary retention was present in only 7. In 9 patients with penile urethral calculi, 6 had associated urethral disease (urethral stricture in 5 and urethral diverticula in 1). Transurethral litholapaxy or lithotripsy after retrograde manipulation was performed in 33 patients. Endoscopic manipulation was found to be the safest procedure.

We have treated 167 patients with staghorn calculi. Conservative therapy was used in 61 patients who have been followed up for 1 to 18 years (average 7.8). Chronic renal failure occurred in 22 of these patients and 7 died from uraemia. The causes of chronic renal failure were bilateral staghorn calculi, staghorn calculi and contralateral urinary calculi, and chronic pyelonephritis of the contralateral kidney. The morbidity and mortality rates following conservative treatment were higher than those following surgical management. The pathological findings in 47 kidneys after nephrectomy showed severe hydronephrosis, renal abscess and xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis. These results indicated that staghorn calculi destroyed the kidney and early complete removal of these stones is advisable.

Sonography was performed in 7 patients with fracture of the penis and in 6 cases it demonstrated the exact site of a tear in the tunica albuginea. It was useful in the diagnosis and management of these patients.