Percutaneous nephrostomy in the management of urinary leakages and fistulas.

Treatment with percutaneous nephrostomy (PN) without co-existing stents was attempted in 18 patients with urinary fistulas and leakages. Seven patients were cured by PN alone. Two of these developed a ureteral stricture at the site of the lesion: one showed no impairment of urinary flow on the follow-up, the other needed continuous urological surveillance. In the remaining 6 cases PN provided temporary relief of the associated urinary stasis. Percutaneous nephrostomy could not be applied in 5 cases because of the lack of renal pelvic dilatation. Only catheter related complications occurred. Because of its easy and little traumatic technique, simple PN could be used as the primary therapeutic approach in such lesions.