Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy in the treatment of pediatric nephrolithiasis: Comparison of the outcome between preschool and schoolgoing children: A single-center study

Aim: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in the treatment of renal stones, between preschool and schoolgoing children. Methods: From January 2007 to March 2015, a total of 103 ESWL-treated children were considered for the study. Stone clearance rate, number of retreatment required, complication rate, and ancillary procedures used were evaluated. Results: Of the 103 patients with age limits of 2-14 years, 36 were <5 years (preschool group) and 67 were ≥5 years (schoolgoing group) of age. The mean age and mean stone size in preschool group was 3.26 ± 1.29 years and 0.97 ± 0.25 cm, respectively, whereas in schoolgoing group, it was 10.31 ± 3.01 years and 14 ± 0.68 cm, respectively. The stone-free rate in preschool and schoolgoing group was 34/36 (94.4%) and 57/67 (85%), respectively, with no statistical difference between the two (P = 0.2076). Post-ESWL complications, including hematuria, mild fever, flank pain, steinstrasse requiring ureteroscopy, and sepsis were seen in both preschool and schoolgoing groups, at varying rates that failed to reach statistical significance among the two (P > 0.05). Mean number of shock waves required for stone clearance was significantly less in preschool group (P = 0.0001). Conclusion: ESWL is equally effective for managing nephrolithiasis in both <5-year or ≥5-year aged children.