Kidney stone disease
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Kidney stone disease, also known as nephrolithiasis or urolithiasis, is when a solid piece of material (kidney stones, also known as renal calculi) forms in the kidney or bladder. From there, most travel down the urinary tract.[1] Kidney stones typically form in the kidney and leave the body during urination.[1] A small stone may pass without causing symptoms (90% or more) within 3 months.[1] Kidney and bladder stones have been known to be fatal. A US founding father, Benjamin Franklin, had kidney stones.
| Kidney stone disease | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Urolithiasis, kidney stone, renal calculus, nephrolith, kidney stone disease, |
 | |
| A kidney stone, 8 millimeters (0.3 in) in diameter | |
| Symptoms | Severe pain in the lower back or abdomen, blood in the urine, vomiting, nausea[1] |
| Causes | Genetic and environmental factors[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms, urine testing, medical imaging[1] |
| Differential diagnosis | Abdominal aortic aneurysm, diverticulitis, appendicitis, pyelonephritis[2] |
| Prevention | Drinking fluids such that more than two liters of urine are produced per day |
| Treatment | Pain medication, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy[1] |
| Frequency | 22.1 million (2015) |
| Deaths | 16,100 (2015) |
If a stone grows to more than 5 millimeters (0.2 in) it can cause blockage of the ureter resulting in severe pain in the lower back or abdomen.[1][3] A kidney stone 1cm or larger cannot pass on its own and requires surgery.
The medical name for kidney stone pain is renal colic. A stone may also result in blood in the urine, vomiting, or painful urination.[1] About 50% of people who get kidney stones will have another within 5 years, especially if they are under the age of 25.
Kidney Stone Disease Media
A kidney stone (yellow) composed of calcium oxalate, next to a tourmaline gemstone for scale
Struvite crystals found on microscopic examination of the urine
Calcium oxalate crystal
Calcium phosphate crystal
Uric acid crystal
Struvite crystals
Cystine crystals
Scanning electron micrograph of the surface of a kidney stone showing tetragonal crystals of weddellite (calcium oxalate dihydrate) emerging from the amorphous central part of the stone (the horizontal length of the picture represents 0.5 mm of the figured original)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Kidney Stones in Adults (February 2013). Retrieved 22 May 2015.
- ↑ Knoll, Thomas. Clinical Management of Urolithiasis (in en) (2012)Springer Science & Business Media. p. 21. ISBN 9783642287329.
- ↑ Miller, NL. Management of kidney stones. BMJ 334 (7591) (2007). p. 468–72. doi:10.1136/bmj.39113.480185.80.
