Nephrostomy in patients with ureteral obstruction secondary to nonurologic malignancy. Obstructive uropathy in malignant disease.

A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the effects of nephrostomy on renal function in 11 patients with either bilateral ureteral obstruction (nine) or obstruction of a solitary kidney (two) due to advanced metastatic malignancy of nonurologic cause. Nephrostomy resulted in substantial improvement in renal function and lowering of blood pressure. The BUN and serum creatinine levels decreased from 80 +/- 32 and 12.1 +/- 6.3 mg/dL to 34 +/- 24 and 2.4 +/- 2.0 mg/dL, respectively. Mean arterial blood pressure decreased from 112 +/- 22 to 88 +/- 6 mm Hg and correlated significantly with weight loss. Mean patient survival after nephrostomy was 6.7 months. The major complications of nephrostomy included hemorrhage and infection. Nephrostomy resulted in significant improvement in renal function and blood pressure in this group of patients and might add to length of patient survival.