Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)
Number of Conditions: 4
Calcium Oxalate Stones
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Kidney Stones and Urologic Disorders
Sub-category: Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)
Symptoms:
severe pain in the flank or lower back; pain radiating to the lower abdomen and groin; hematuria (blood in urine); frequent urination; nausea and vomiting; feeling of incomplete bladder emptying
Root Cause:
Accumulation of calcium and oxalate in the kidneys forms crystals, which grow into stones due to supersaturation of urine with these substances.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like non-contrast CT scan, X-ray of the abdomen, or ultrasound; urine analysis to detect crystals and assess urine pH; blood tests for calcium, oxalate, and kidney function.
Treatment:
Pain management with NSAIDs or opioids, increased fluid intake, dietary modifications to reduce oxalate and sodium, medical therapy to reduce stone recurrence, and, in some cases, lithotripsy or surgical removal.
Medications:
Thiazide diuretics (e.g., hydrochlorothiazide ) to reduce calcium excretion; potassium citrate to alkalinize urine and reduce stone formation; allopurinol if high uric acid levels are present.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 10–15% of the population worldwide will develop kidney stones during their lifetime; calcium oxalate stones are the most common type, accounting for 70–80% of cases.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
High dietary intake of oxalate-rich foods, dehydration, hypercalciuria, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and certain genetic predispositions.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with proper management and lifestyle changes; recurrence is common without preventive measures.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrence of stones, urinary tract obstruction, infection, chronic kidney disease, and, in severe cases, kidney failure.
Uric Acid Stones
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Kidney Stones and Urologic Disorders
Sub-category: Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)
Symptoms:
flank pain; blood in urine; frequent urination; cloudy or foul-smelling urine; urinary urgency
Root Cause:
High levels of uric acid in the urine, often due to acidic urine pH, lead to the formation of uric acid crystals and stones.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urine pH measurement, 24-hour urine collection, and imaging studies such as a CT scan or ultrasound.
Treatment:
Increased hydration to dilute urine, dietary changes to reduce purine intake, urine alkalinization with potassium citrate, and sometimes dissolution therapy.
Medications:
Allopurinol (xanthine oxidase inhibitor) to lower uric acid production; potassium citrate to increase urine pH.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
More common in individuals with gout or metabolic syndrome; accounts for about 5–10% of all kidney stones.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
High-purine diet, dehydration, obesity, gout, chronic diarrhea, and genetic predisposition.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Usually manageable with dietary changes and medications; recurrence can be prevented with proper therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic obstruction, urinary tract infections, kidney damage, and recurrence of stones.
Struvite Stones
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Kidney Stones and Urologic Disorders
Sub-category: Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)
Symptoms:
pain in the side, lower back, or pelvis; fever and chills; hematuria; cloudy urine; painful urination
Root Cause:
Formed in alkaline urine due to infections with urease-producing bacteria (e.g., Proteus mirabilis), which break down urea into ammonia.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Imaging studies like X-rays or CT scans to detect large, branched stones (staghorn calculi); urine culture to identify causative bacteria.
Treatment:
Treating the underlying infection with antibiotics, surgical removal of stones (e.g., percutaneous nephrolithotomy), and prevention with long-term urinary acidification.
Medications:
Antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin , amoxicillin-clavulanate) to treat infection; acetohydroxamic acid (urease inhibitor) to prevent stone recurrence.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Less common, accounting for about 10–15% of kidney stones; more frequent in women with recurrent urinary tract infections.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Recurrent UTIs, urinary stasis, indwelling catheters, neurogenic bladder, and certain metabolic conditions.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Requires prompt treatment to prevent complications; good prognosis with successful stone removal and infection control.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Kidney infections, sepsis, renal damage, and loss of kidney function in severe cases.
Cystine Stones
Specialty: Nephrology
Category: Kidney Stones and Urologic Disorders
Sub-category: Nephrolithiasis (Kidney Stones)
Symptoms:
flank or abdominal pain; recurrent kidney stones; cloudy or foul-smelling urine; urinary urgency and frequency; blood in urine
Root Cause:
Caused by a rare genetic disorder, cystinuria, where excess cystine is excreted in the urine, leading to poorly soluble crystals and stone formation.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Urine analysis showing characteristic hexagonal cystine crystals; 24-hour urine collection for cystine levels; genetic testing for cystinuria.
Treatment:
Increased fluid intake to dilute urine, dietary sodium and protein restriction, urine alkalinization, and, in some cases, surgical removal of stones.
Medications:
Tiopronin or D-penicillamine (thiol-based medications to bind cystine and make it more soluble); potassium citrate to increase urine pH.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare, accounting for 1–2% of all kidney stones; more common in individuals with a family history of cystinuria.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, dehydration, high sodium intake.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Challenging due to high recurrence rates; manageable with lifelong hydration and therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrent stones, kidney obstruction, infections, and chronic kidney disease.