Efficacy of low dose tamsulosin in medical expulsive therapy for ureteral stones in Japanese male patients: a randomized controlled study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of low dose tamsulosin for facilitating spontaneous passage of ureteral stones in Japanese male patients.

Methods: A total of 71 patients with symptomatic ureteral stones, 10 mm or smaller in size, were randomly allocated into groups 1 and 2. Group 1 received tamsulosin (0.2 mg/day) for a maximum of 4 weeks and group 2 received no medication. The primary endpoint was the stone expulsion rate and the secondary endpoints were stone expulsion time and analgesic use.

Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of age, stone size and location. The stone expulsion rate was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 (77% vs 50%, P = 0.002). No significant differences were noted in the stone expulsion time and analgesic use between the groups.

Conclusion: Low dose tamsulosin can significantly facilitate spontaneous passage of ureteral stones without significant side-effects in Japanese male patients.