Managing renal forniceal rupture secondary to ureteric calculi in line with the NICE 2019 Renal and Ureteric Stone Guidelines

Abstract

Objective:

To synthesise all available data to determine the best management for urolithiasis-related renal forniceal rupture (RFR), with particular reference to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) 2019 Renal and Ureteric Stone Guidelines.

Methods:

PubMed search to March 2020 using permutations of renal, forniceal, fornix, calyceal, calyx and rupture. Non-English abstracts, editorial comments, letters to the editor and abstracts of conference proceedings were excluded.

Results:

An initial PubMed search retrieved 126 titles which were screened for relevance and five further titles were added from associated references. 64 abstracts were subsequently assessed, with 25 articles proceeding to full paper review.

Conclusions:

In cases of RFR secondary to ureteric calculi, management options, including conservative management, for the stone should be considered without the decision being influenced by the presence of the rupture.

Perirenal abscesses secondary to RFR are rare, occurring in less than 0.25% of cases. Evidence supports restricting antibiotic prophylaxis to patients with a history of recurrent urinary tract infections or a positive urine culture, in line with the European Association of Urology’s antibiotic stewardship general management principle.

RFR is not inherently a contraindication to primary ureteroscopy, which has particularly relevance with the drive to meet the 2019 NICE recommendations.

Level of evidence:

Not applicable to this literature review.