urolithiasis - Medical Dictionary

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urolithiasis		Calculi in any part of the urinary tract. According to their composition or pattern of chemical composition distribution, urinary calculi types may include alternating or combination, cystine, decubitus, encysted, fibrin, hemp seed, matrix, mulberry, oxalate, struvite, urostealith, and xanthic calculi. [ Articles \| Books \| Images \| Discussion groups ]

Additional comments : (Urinary Calculi, Urinary Tract Stones) Many Urinary Stones Can Be Treated Without Surgery Urinary stone disease is highly prevalent, afflicting 13 percent of men and 7 percent of women in the United States. While many urinary stones are treated today with minimally invasive techniques, there is growing evidence to suggest that medications can be an effective treatment. For many patients with urinary stone disease, treatment with a calcium-channel blocker or an alpha blocker can greatly improve their likelihood of passing their urinary stones, which may help these patients avoid surgery, according to an analysis by the University of Michigan Health System. Source: University of Michigan Health System Shock Wave Therapy For Kidney Stones Linked To Increased Risk Of Diabetes, Hypertension Shock wave lithotripsy uses shock waves to break up an impassable kidney stone into smaller, sandlike pieces which can be passed spontaneously, usually within a month. The patient and the lithotriptor that emits the shock waves are placed in a water bath. Water allows easier conduction of the shock waves through the patient's tissue and precise focus on the kidney stone. Mayo Clinic researchers are sounding an alert about side effects of shock wave lithotripsy: in a research study, they found this common treatment for kidney stones to significantly increase the risk for diabetes and hypertension later in life. Risk for diabetes was related to the intensity of the treatment and quantity of the shock waves administered; hypertension was related to treatment of stones in both kidneys. Source: Mayo Clinic Bacterium That Causes Kidney Stones And Complicated Urinary Tract Infections Gives Up Its Genetic Secrets Scientists now have inside information to use in the fight against Proteus mirabilis - a nasty bacterium that can cause kidney stones, as well as hard-to-treat urinary tract infections. Data from the first complete genome sequence for P. mirabilis, which includes at least 3,693 genes and 4.063 megabases of DNA, will be presented at the 106th general meeting of the American Society of Microbiology. Source: University of Michigan Health System Excess Body Weight Linked To Formation Of Uric Acid Kidney Stones, UT Southwestern Researchers Find Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found that the more overweight a person is the more at risk he or she is for forming uric acid kidney stones. Kidney stones are solid deposits that form in the kidneys from substances excreted in urine. When waste materials in urine do not dissolve completely, microscopic particles begin to form and over time grow into kidney stones. These stones may remain in the kidney or can break loose and travel down the urinary tract. Small stones may pass out of the body naturally, but a larger stone can get stuck in a ureter, the bladder or the urethra, possibly blocking the flow of urine and often causing intense pain. Uric acid kidney stones develop when the urine's acid level is too high, typically from the ingestion of too much dietary animal protein or when there are insufficient amounts of buffers to neutralize acid in the urine. Source: University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center At Dallas Too Much Soy Could Lead To Kidney Stones New research indicates that soybeans and soy-based foods, a staple in the diets of many health-conscious consumers, may promote kidney stones in those prone to the painful condition. The researchers measured nearly a dozen varieties of soybeans for oxalate, a compound that can bind with calcium in the kidney to form kidney stones. The amount of oxalate in the commercial products easily eclipsed the American Dietetic Association's 10 milligram-per-serving recommendation for patients with kidney stones, with some foods reaching up to 50 times higher than the suggested limit. Oxalate can't be metabolized by the body and is excreted only through urine. The compound has no nutritional value, but binds to calcium to form a mass (kidney stones) that can block the urinary system. Source: American Chemical Society Lack of Intestinal Bacterium Linked To Kidney Stones In Cystic Fibrosis Patients Cystic fibrosis patients who lack a beneficial intestinal bacterium have a greatly increased likelihood of developing a condition that can lead to kidney stones, and extensive use of antibiotics may be to blame, University of Florida researchers reported. The study is one of the first to directly link an absence of the organism, known as Oxalobacter formigenes, to the formation of the painful crystals. Previously, many researchers believed cystic fibrosis patients developed kidney stones in connection with intestinal malabsorption problems. Source: University of Florida UT Southwestern Researchers Find Calcium Intake Contributing Factor In Formation Of Kidney Stones An estimated 10 percent of Americans will have a kidney stone some time in their lives, with men typically affected more frequently than women. Kidney stones are solid deposits that form in the kidneys from substances excreted in urine. When waste materials in urine do not dissolve completely, microscopic particles begin to form and over time grow into kidney stones. The most common type of kidney stone contains calcium in combination with either oxalate or phosphate, with calcium oxalate stones accounting for about 60 percent and calcium phosphate about 20 percent of kidney stones. Individuals with either calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate kidney stones should not take extra calcium on their own as suggested by previous research, but should check with their doctors to determine the dietary guidelines that work best for them, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas have found. Source: University Of Texas Southwestern Medical Center At Dallas Nanobacteria: An Infectious Cause for Kidney Stone Formation Nanobacteria are cytotoxic, sterile-filterable, gram-negative, atypical bacteria detected in bovine and human blood. Nanobacteria produce carbonate apatite on their cell walls. Data on Randall's plaques suggest that apatite may initiate kidney stone formation. We suggest that kidney stone formation is a nanobacterial disease analogous Helicobacter pylori infection and peptic ulcer disease. Both diseases are initiated by bacterial infection and subsequently endogenous and dietary factors influence their progression. Source: Kidney International

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