BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - The passage of ureteral calculi can be significantly improved by the administration of tamsulosin 0.4 mg daily. This prospective randomized study compared patients with distal ureteral stones being treated with tamsulosin 0.4 mg daily for 30 days alone to those treated with tamsulosin in the same dose plus deflazacort 30 mg daily for 10 days. The tamsulosin alone group and the tamsulosin plus corticosteroid group were not different in the overall expulsion rate (90% versus 96.7%, respectively). However, the addition of a corticosteroid did significantly reduce the time for stone expulsion from a mean of five days to a mean of three days. The clinician must remain cognizant that the addition of a corticosteroid may increase the risk of complications, such as, aseptic necrosis of the hip. Therefore, this therapy should be used for only short courses, less than 10 days, and be closely monitored. Tamsulosin alone is safe and provides an excellent expulsion rate of 90% within a reasonable period of time. However, the addition of a corticosteroid may be appropriate in selected patients.

Urol 66: 712-715, 2005