Kidney stone

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiasis, urolithiasis or renal calculi, are solid accretions (crystals) of dissolved minerals in urine found inside the kidneys or ureters. They vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones typically leave the body in the urine stream; if they grow relatively large before passing (on the order of millimeters), obstruction of a ureter and distention with urine can cause severe pain most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin.

Related Topics:
Crystal - Mineral - Urine - Kidney - Ureter - Pain

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Conventional wisdom has held that consumption of too much calcium can aggravate the development of kidney stones, since the most common type of stone is calcium oxalate. However, strong evidence has accumulated demonstrating that low-calcium diets are associated with higher stone risk and vice-versa for the typical stone former. The relatively dense calcium renders these stones radio-opaque and they can be detected by a traditional X-ray of the abdomen that includes Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder—KUB. Computed tomography, a specialized X-ray, is by far the most accurate diagnostic test for the detection of kidney stones. Another test is by IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram) which requires roughly about 50ml of a special dye to be injected into the bloodstream that goes straight to the kidneys. After x-rays are done, the stone is clearly visible on the x-ray.

Related Topics:
Calcium - Calcium oxalate - X-ray - KUB

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Other examples of kidney stones include struvite (magnesium, ammonium and phosphate), uric acid, calcium phosphate, or cystine (the amino acid found only in people suffering from cystinuria). The formation of struvite stones is associated with the presence of urease splitting bacteria (Klebsiella, Serratia, Proteus, Providencia species) which can split urea into ammonia, most commonly Proteus mirabilis.

Related Topics:
Struvite - Magnesium - Ammonium - Phosphate - Uric acid - Calcium phosphate - Cystine - Amino acid - Cystinuria - Proteus mirabilis

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