Effects of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy on the kidney and perinephric tissues: CT evaluation

Since the first successful treatment of the patient with renal stone by extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy at the Institute for Surgical Research, West Germany, on February 7, 1980, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) has been a non-invasive technique for the treatment of the renal and ureteral calculi. In spite of the fact that the acoustic energy of the focused shock waves must pass through the soft tissues of back, perinephric tissues and renal parenchyme before reaching calculi, little is known about the effects of ESWL in the renal parenchyme and perinephric soft tissues. So we analyzed a pre and post-ESWL computed tomography scans of the kidneys in 130 patients treated at our hospital during a three month period to evaluate the effects of ESWL on the kidney and perinephric soft tissues