Extracorporeal lithotripsy in patients with acquired or congenital coagulopathies

Post ESWL haemorragic complications are frequent and most patients experience temporary haematuria and focal intrarenal bleeding or perirenal haematoma are detected by NMR or US imaging. By tradition coagulation troubles have been a contraindication for ESWL but literature describes cases of coagulopathic patients treated with ESWL. From January 1992 to July 1993, 4 of our patients with severe haemostatis troubles (severe haemophilia A in two cases, acquired deficit of coagulation factors and mild thrombocytopenia secondary to post-necrotic hepatitis in 1 case and Glanzmann's thrombasthenia in 1 case) underwent ESWL using Dornier HM3 mod. or MPL 9000. An extensive haematological and clinical evaluation pre and post-ESWL with an adequate haematological prophylaxis (transfusion of blood derivatives) has been performed depending on the coagulation disorder. In our patients we did not observe any haemorragic complication and we propose a reappraisal of the contraindications of ESWL in subjects with coagulation disorders: careful evaluation of haemorragic risk factors, by suitable correction measures and close clinical and instrumental monitoring, allows a reduction of the risk of haemorragic complications in coagulopathic patients who undergo ESWL treatment.