Is stone radiodensity a useful parameter for predicting outcome of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy for stones < 2 cm?

PURPOSE: Several factors determine the success of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) for kidney stones: stone size, stone location within the collecting system, stone type, and the SWL machine used. It has been suggested that stone radiodensity, as determined either by plain radiography or computed tomography attenuation values, may be an independent predictor of SWL success. We examined the outcome of SWL for solitary stones less than or equal to 2 cm located within the renal pelvis, based on their radiodensity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 211 patients with solitary renal pelvic stones mea...