Tamsulosin and tolterodine in the medical expulsive therapy for intramural ureteral stones with vesical irritability: a prospective randomized study

We performed a randomized, prospective study to assess the possible role of combined tamsulosin and tolterodine therapy for the relief of vesical irritability and in facilitating the spontaneous expulsion of intramural ureteral stones. Patients were randomized to one of three treatment groups. Treatment group 1 patients received tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day, group 2 patients received tamsulosin 0.4 mg/day plus tolterodine 2 mg (twice a day), and group 3 patients received tolterodine 2 mg (twice a day). Subjects rated the urgency associated with each micturition using the Urinary Sensation Scale. Pain descriptions were recorded by the patients using the Visual Analog Scale. Stone expulsion was observed in 30 patients in group 1, 29 patients in group 2 and 18 patients in group 3. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted to access the expulsion rate of each group over time. A significant difference was shown for the expulsion rate between the tolterodine group and the other two groups. (P = 0.003 by log rank test). Average time to expulsion for groups 1, 2 and 3 was 7.62 ± 2.42, 7.79 ± 2.11 and 10.57 ± 2.71 days, respectively (P = 0.000). In groups 1, 2 and 3, the mean number of pain episodes was 2.27 ± 0.91, 1.39 ± 1.34 and 1.38 ± 1.20, respectively (P = 0.023). Treatment with tamsulosin and tolterodine appears to be beneficial in intramural ureteral stone clearance, particularly in intramural ureter stone with symptoms of vesical irritability.