Efficacy of low dose tamsulosin in medical expulsive therapy for ureteral stones in Japanese male patients: a randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the efficacy of low dose tamsulosin for facilitating spontaneous passage of ureteral stones in Japanese male patients.

METHODS

A total of 71 patients with symptomatic ureteral stones, 10 mm or smaller in size, were randomly allocated into groups 1 and 2. Group 1 received tamsulosin (0.2 mg/day) for a maximum of 4 weeks and group 2 received no medication. The primary endpoint was the stone expulsion rate and the secondary endpoints were stone expulsion time and analgesic use.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, stone size and location. The stone expulsion rate was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (77% vs 50%, P = 0.002). No significant differences were noted in the stone expulsion time and analgesic use between the groups.

CONCLUSION

Low dose tamsulosin can significantly facilitate spontaneous passage of ureteral stones without significant side-effects in Japanese male patients.