PURPOSE: Two different regimens of SWL delivery for treating urinary stones were compared. METHODS: Patients with urinary stones were randomly divided into two groups, one of which received 3000 shocks at a rate of 60 impulses per minute and the other of which received 4000 shocks at 90 impulses per minute. Success was defined as stone-free status or the detection of residual fragments of less than or equal to 3 mm three months after treatment. Partial fragmentation was considered to have occurred if a significant reduction in the stone burden was observed but residual fragments of 3mm or greater remained. RESULTS: A total of 143 procedures were performed with 3000 impulses at a rate of 60 impulses per minute, and 156 procedures were performed with 4000 impulses at 90 impulses per minute. The stone-free rate was 53.1% for patients treated with the first regimen and 54.8% for those treated with the second one (p = 0.603). The stone-free rate for stones smaller than 10 mm was 60% for patients treated with 60 impulses per minute and 58.6% for those treated with 90 impulses per minute. For stones bigger than 10 mm, stone-free rates were 34.2% and 45.7%, respectively (p = 0.483). Complications occurred in 2.3% of patients treated with 60 impulses per minute and 3.3% of patients treated with 90 impulses per minute. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in the stone-free and complication rates were observed by reducing the total number of impulses from 4000 to 3000 and the frequency from 90 to 60 impulses per minute.

Objetivo: Mostrar uma casuística de pacientes com timoma, tratados cirurgicamente, com ou sem outra terapia associada, no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil, avaliando o prognóstico destes. Métodos: Entre 1965 e 1998 foram operados 104 pacientes com neoplasias do timo, sendo 69 (66,3%) do sexo masculino; a idade média ao diagnóstico foi de 47,9 ± 16,3 anos, com faixa de variação de 13 a 76 anos de idade. Resultados: Dos 104 operados, 89 (85,6%) foram submetidos a ressecção total do timoma, 6 (5,8%) a ressecção parcial e 9 (8,6%) a biópsia. O diagnóstico anatomopatológico (timoma x timoma maligno) e a cirurgia (biópsia x ressecção total x ressecção parcial) foram significativamente preditivos (p < 0,02) para o tempo médio de sobrevida. Conclusão: A ressecção completa é o tratamento de escolha para os timomas. Esses tumores, quando não invasivos e ressecados completamente, apresentam bom prognóstico imediato e tardio.

Objectives: To describe a group of patients with thymoma who were submitted to surgical treatment associated or not with therapy, and evaluate their prognosis. Methods: Of the 104 patients with thymic tumors who were operated at Hospital das Clínicas São Paulo University Medical School between 1965 and 1998, (66.3%) were males. Mean age at diagnosis, was 47.9% ± 16.3 years (ranging from 13 to 76 years). Results: Of the 104 patients, 89 (85.6%) underwent complete thymoma resection, 6 (5.8%) underwent partial resection and, in 9 (8.6%) of them, biopsy was performed. Anatomopathologic diagnosis (thymoma vs malignant thymoma) and the type of surgery (biopsy vs complete resection vs partial resection) were significant predictors of survival mean time (p < 0.02). Conclusions: Complete resection is the treatment of choice for thymomas. These tumors, when not invasive and completely resected, have good immediate and late prognosis.