Introduction: Urolithiasis in solitary kidney (SK) presents significant management dilemma as any insult to the kidney or its drainage can lead to significant morbidity. The treatment options include shock wave lithotripsy (SWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and ureteroscopy (URS). Our aim was to conduct a systematic review of literature on all available endourologic techniques reporting on the management of stones in an SK. Materials and Methods: We conducted a systematic review according to the Cochrane and PRISMA checklist for all English-language articles from inception to December 2018. All studies with a minimum of 10 patients that reported on endourologic management (SWL, PCNL, or URS) were included. Data were extracted for patient and stone demographics, outcomes including stone-free rate (SFR), adverse events, and renal function. Results: After an initial search of 553 articles, 27 were included for the final review (10 PCNL, 1 mini-PCNL, 9 URS, 1 SWL, and 6 comparative studies). The choice of treatment seemed to be based on stone size, with PCNL, URS, and SWL offered for mean stone sizes between 25-50, 10-28, and 12-15 mm, respectively. PCNL, URS, and SWL were reported in 1445, 792, and 186 patients, respectively, with a final SFR of 67%-97.7%, 43%-100%, and 73%-80% and a complication rate of 26.4%, 15%, and 16.7% across the three groups. The renal function deterioration was reported in 4/16 PCNL studies and in 1/15 URS studies, while it remained unaffected in the SWL study. Conclusions: Our review shows a rise of endourologic techniques in the management of stones in SK. Although PCNL was used for larger stones, it had a higher risk of major complications, including blood transfusion. While a good SFR was obtained for patients irrespective of the treatment modality, the selected intervention needs to be balanced with its safety profile and the need for ancillary procedures.
Keywords: PCNL; SWL; URS; lithotripsy; mini; single; solitary; stone; ureteroscopy; urolithiasis.