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The Curious Bag
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Urinary calculi, sometimes referred to as urinary stones, are solid accumulations of material in the urinary tract. They can cause serious symptoms, but this condition is high treatable.
Identification
Urinary calculi are commonly one-sided and have a size of between 1 and 3 millimeters, according to the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah.
Features
Most urinary calculi are formed from calcium or magnesium ammonium phosphate, with other causes including uric acid and cystine, according to the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library.
Significance
One out of 1,000 adults in the U.S. go into the hospital every year because of urinary calculi, and they may develop in 12 percent of men and 5 percent of women over a lifetime, according to Merck Manuals.
Symptoms
The symptoms of urinary calculi include very severe pain (in the back and sides), nausea and vomiting, blood in the urine and fever with chills if there is infection present, according to Merck Manuals and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Science Library.
Treatment
Treatment for urinary calculi includes painkillers, antibiotics (if there is an infection) and either shock wave lithotripsy (using shock waves in order to break up stones) or surgical removal using a scope, according to Merck Manuals.
Source:
Merck Manuals: Urinary Calculi
University of Utah Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library: Renal Pathology
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