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Summary— This study reviews 6 patients who were referred with severe loin pain radiating to the groin and in whom a presumptive diagnosis of ureteric colic was made. Of these, 3 patients were found to have carcinoma of the pancreas and the remaining 3 had retroperitoneal lymph node metastases. Retroperitoneal malignancies rarely present with loin pain, but this diagnosis should be considered in patients with long-standing loin pain in whom an obvious diagnosis is not apparent.

We report our experience with pulsed dye laser lithotripsy in the treatment of 100 ureteric stones in 95 patients over a 14-month period from July 1989 to September 1990. The overall rate of successful stone fragmentation was 97%. There was a low incidence of minor complications--mild haematuria, ureteric colic and urinary tract infection; ureteric perforation occurred in only 3 patients, all of whom were successfully treated conservatively. Pulsed dye laser lithotripsy is a safe and effective mode of treatment for ureteric stones. Current indications for laser fragmentation of stones are ureteric stones, impacted pelviureteric junction stones and Steinstrasse.

Summary— A randomised multicentre clinical trial was undertaken to compare the effect on pain of indomethacin administered either intravenously or rectally to 116 patients with ureteric colic. Adverse reactions were also assessed. Of the patients receiving the intravenous injection, 48/53 (91%) achieved good pain relief (i.e. no supplementary analgesia was required) 30 min after administration, compared with 46/63 (73%) receiving the enema. Significantly more side effects occurred in the group treated intravenously. It was concluded that indomethacin administered as an enema was less effective than the intravenous form, but it should be regarded as a good alternative in the treatment of ureteric colic.

Summary A clinicopathologic correlation of 2 patients with crossed renal ectopia presenting with ureteric colic and 4 cases collected from the literature is presented. The correlation serves to reaffirm the theory of ureteral and not renal, migration as the primary aberration resulting in this defect.

A retrospective study of 1097 male in-patients with ureteric colic was conducted to try and define the aetiological effect of climate on the disease. The overall monthly incidence for the study period of 10 years was found, on statistical analysis to correlate with ambient temperature thus: (1) directly with the mean temperature of the preceding month, (2) directly with the difference between mean maximum and mean minimum temperatures of the same month, and (3) inversely with the mean maximum temperature of the same month. The correlation was interpreted on the basis that hot ambient temperatures promoted stone generation whereas cold ones promoted stone descent through cold-induced diuresis. This trend, among its other implications, could pinpoint the reason for the increase in nephrolithiasis with industralisation.

Forty-six ureteroscopies were carried out over a 12-month period. A simple technique is described. The desired level was reached in 72% of cases and the pre-operative objective achieved in 60% of cases overall. Fifty per cent of all ureteric stones were safely retrieved by ureteroscopy. The instrument was used to establish a diagnosis of upper urinary tract abnormality in 16 of 23 cases. The overall complication rate was low, most problems relating to short-lived ureteric colic (23%) which was seen mainly after stone manipulation. Transurethral ureteroscopy is a safe procedure with a number of diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities.

Summary— In this study the analgesic effect of indomethacin in ureteric colic was demonstrated in 15 patients. Of the 15 patients, 12 had prompt and effective pain relief. It is concluded that indomethacin suppositories offer a safe and effective alternative to pethidine in the treatment of ureteric colic.

Summary— Experiments have been carried out with isolated ring preparations of human ureter. The tissue displayed spontaneous activity and contracted when exposed to barium chloride (0.5-4 mM) but no responses were obtained with carbachol (0.1 micromolar-0.1 mM). This raises questions about the value of treating ureteric colic with anti-muscarinic drugs.