Radiology, Vol 186, 169-173, Copyright © 1993 by Radiological Society of North America
Malignant ureteral obstruction: preliminary results of treatment with metallic self-expandable stents
F Flueckiger, J Lammer, GE Klein, K Hausegger, A Lederer, D Szolar and K Tamussino
Department of Radiology, University Hospital of Graz, Austria.
Self-expandable metal stents 7 mm in diameter were percutaneously implanted
into 13 ureters in 10 patients with malignant ureteral obstruction not
amenable to double-J stent placement. In nine ureters, one stent was
placed, and in four ureters, two overlapping stents were placed. Primary
reconstitution of ureteral patency was achieved in all ureters. After 1-2
weeks, four ureters showed a urothelial reaction encroaching on the lumen
of the ureter, and a double-J stent was placed coaxially. One ureter was
occluded by urothelial hyperplasia 4 weeks after stent placement, and a
double-J stent was therefore placed. One ureter was occluded 8 months after
stent placement by distal tumor overgrowth. The other ureters showed no
signs of obstruction during a follow-up of 3-14 (average, 5.8) months.
Peristalsis was preserved at both ends of the stent in all ureters. The use
of this stent alone or in combination with a double-J stent alleviated
upper urinary tract obstruction and avoided external drainage in all
patients.
