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Shock waves have changed medical therapy substantially. Accounting for the epidemiology of the treated diseases, this new change may equal or even surpass the impact of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

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Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) represents one of the most significant risk factors for acute pyelonephritis in children. The current indications for the surgical correction of VUR depend on the presence or absence of renal scars. If no scars are present, primary ureteral reimplantation is only indicated in high-grade bilateral VUR, whereas in the presence of renal scars surgical correction is indicated in low/high grade reflux at a young age. Since there are numerous techniques for antireflux surgery available, it is the purpose of this article to critically review these techniques with their specific advantages, typical complications and postoperative management. In general, all surgical technique have a high success rate of 92-98%. The extravesical Lich-Gregoir technique is primarily indicated in unilateral VUR. Children with a high-grade VUR, who are under the age of 3 years and boys are prone to the development of postoperative urinary retention and might be considered for intravesical surgical techniques. The Politano-Leadbetter technique is very helpful in correcting bilateral VUR of any grade in one session to create a neo-ostium in an anatomically correct position which is easily accessible for endourological manipulations. The Psoas hitch ureteroneocystotomy is an excellent technique to correct VUR associated with megaureter, or with duplicated ureters, and VUR failures. Endoscopic subureteral injections are primarily reserved for low grade VUR with a one session success rate of >90%. Endoscopic subureteral injections appear to be an alternative to long-term antibiotics in grade I-III VUR. Laparoscopic antireflux surgery has not gained widespread use due to the very long operating times. Contralateral VUR will occur in about 20% of children undergoing unilateral antireflux surgery; risk factors are severe VUR and VUR into a duplicated system. Postoperative follow-up nowadays consists of urinalysis and ultrasonography; voiding cystourethrography is only indicated in case of febrile urinary tract infection. Despite the excellent success rates following antireflux surgery one has to keep in mind that surgery only corrects the anatomical abnormality. The long-term outcome with regard to renal function, posttherapeutic febrile urinary tract infections and arterial hypertension does not differ significantly from the medication group except for those patients with a demonstrated a genetic background. Therefore, the indication for surgery and the surgical technique applied have to be discussed thoroughly and must be associated with a minimal complication rate.

Advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a poor prognosis and is characterized by an unpredictable clinical course. The aim of this study was to assess the systemic phospholipid distribution as a possible marker of tumor stage and tumor spread beyond the kidney. To this end, the effect of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) on phospholipid concentrations in blood plasma using 31P NMR spectroscopy was studied in: (a) 29 patients with RCC prior to nephrectomy; (b) 19 healthy volunteers; (c) three patients with other renal tumors (renal metastases of bronchial carcinoma and of renal pelvic carcinoma, and a benign renal tumor). Furthermore, the phospholipid concentrations of eight patients of group (a) were determined 6 months after nephrectomy, when they were in remission. We found considerable deviations in the concentrations of the lysophosphatidylcholines (LPC1, LPC2) in both male and female patients with RCC compared to healthy volunteers (male--LPC1 0.217+/-0.062 vs 0.297+/-0.049 mmol/l, LPC2 0.036+/-0.014 vs 0.068+/-0.024 mmol/l; female--LPC1 0.195+/-0.071 vs 0.296+/-0.044 mmol/l, LPC2 0.037+/-0.027 vs 0.044+/-0.014 mmol/l). In addition, female patients with RCC showed lower concentrations of phosphatidylcholines (PC; 1.409+/-0.268 vs 1.947+/-0.259 mmol/l). The low phospholipid concentrations normalized for patients in remission. Phospholipid concentrations were found to depend on tumor stage and metastatic spread. The deviations in phospholipid concentrations (LPC1, LPC2, PC) observed may be attributable to systemic effects caused by the tumor as well as changes in enzyme activities.

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Even in the presence of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy there is still the need for endourological treatment of stones in the urinary tract. Stone fragmentation usually is achieved with either ultrasonic, electrohydraulic or laser lithotripsy. We report our early experience with a new, simply constructed machine at a reasonable cost for endoscopic stone disintegration--the Swiss Lithoclast. The principle of this lithotriptor is based on pneumatic shock waves induced by the central compressed air system of a hospital or by a compressor. This device was used to treat 151 patients with stones in the kidney, ureter, bladder or a Kock pouch continent urinary diversion. Endoscopic fragmentation was successful in all patients. Independent of the composition, all stones were disintegrated within a short period, indicating that the device may well represent an attractive alternative to standard endoscopic lithotriptors.

Digital rectal examination and sonography reliably detect a retrovesical mass. Nevertheless, clinical signs and median or lateral location relative to the bladder neck on ultrasound are diagnostic only for cystic lesions. Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are useful for staging malignant tumors. However, needle or open biopsy is required in most cases to establish a histopathological diagnosis. Exploratory laparotomy and histopathological examination are the procedures of choice when other findings are equivocal.