Can the Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio and Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio Be Used to Predict the Risk of Ureteral Stricture Following Ureteroscopy?

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) can be used to predict the development of ureteral stricture or difficult ureter in patients who had previously undergone endoscopic upper urinary tract surgery. Material and Methods: This observational study was performed between April 2022 and April 2023 at the Samsun Training and Research Hospital Urology Department, Türkiye. One hundred thirty patients who had undergone prior endoscopic upper urinary tract surgery were included. These were divided into two groups, with (Group 1) and without (Group 2) ureteral stricture. The diagnosis of ureteral stricture was based on direct endoscopy or retrograde pyelography. The groups’ sociodemographic characteristics, clinical data, and NLR and PLR values were then compared. Results: The patients’ mean ages were 49.89±14.40 years in Group 1 and 48.92±14.60 in Group 2 (p = 0.704). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of sex, body mass index, or comorbidity. However, significant differences were determined in terms of passage of kidney stones and numbers of surgical procedures performed (p = 0.001 and p