Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of doxazosin in inducing spontaneous passage of stones in the distal ureter and to compare its efficacy according to the size of the stone.
Patients and Methods: Seventy-three patients with a mean age of 46.38 ± 10.17 years who presented with a distal-ureteral stone were divided into four groups according to stone size and drug treatment: <5 mm without doxazosin (group A; n = 15); 5–10 mm (group B; n = 16); <5 mm with doxazosin 4 mg/day for 4 weeks (group C; n = 20); and 5–10 mm with doxazosin 4 mg/day for 4 weeks (group D; n = 22). Groups A and B served as controls for groups C and D, respectively.
Results: Spontaneous stone passage was documented in 9 patients (60%) in group A v 17 (85%) in group C (P = 0.047) and 7 (43.75%) in group B v 16 (72.73%) in group D (P = 0.036). The average expulsion time was 8.78 ± 1.09 days in group A v 7.59 ± 0.80 days in group C (P = 0.004) and 12.14 ± 1.35 days in group B v 7.06 ± 1.29 days in group D (P <0.0001). The number of pain episodes in group D patients was significantly lower than in group B (P ± 0.0078).
Conclusions: Doxazosin treatment proved to be safe and effective for distal-ureteral stones, as determined by earlier expulsion, decreased colic frequency, and absence of side effects. The efficacy of doxazosin was significantly higher for 5-to 10-mm stones than for smaller ones.
