UROLOGY - STONES Flashcards
What is nephrolithiasis?
Kidney stones
Aka renal calculi, urolithiasis
What’s the incidence and recurrent rate for kidney stones?
10% incidence in the UK population at some point in their life
50% recurrence rate in 10 years
Where do kidney stones form and where are they most likely to get stuck?
Form in the renal pelvis
Likely to get stuck in the vesicoureteric junction but can get stuck anywhere!
What are most stones made of?
Calcium oxalate
What types of stones are there?
80% Calcium based e.g. oxalate or phosphate
Struvite
Uric acid
Cystine
When do struvite stones tend to form?
In response to a urinary tract infection
When do uric acid stones tend to form?
Those who loose too much fluid e.g. chronic diarrhoea
Eat a high protein diet
Diabetes or metabolic syndrome
When do cysteine stones form?
In people with cystinuria (a hereditary disorder that causes the kidneys to excrete too much of the amino acid cysteine)
What’s the prevalence of renal stones in men:women?
2:1
What are the complications of kidney stones?
Infections due to obstructive pyelonephritis
AKI - obstruction causes back up into the kidney
Recurrent stones
How can a renal stone progress to a medical emergency?
If it obstructs the system and there is an infection
What are the specific causes of renal stones?
Dehydration
Hypercalcaemia
Hypercalciuria
Hyperoxaluria
Hyperuricaemia
Hyperuricosuria
Infection
Primary renal disease
Drugs
Cystinuria
What’s the basic aetiology of renal stones?
Solute concentrations exceed saturation:
Chemical composition of urine favours stone formation
Concentrated urine from dehydration
Changes in urinary pH
Impairment of inhibitors that prevent crystallisation
What are some urinary solutes?
Calcium
Uric acid
Oxalate
Sodium
What are some stone inhibitors?
Citrate
Magnesium
Pyrophosphate
What is hyperperistalsis?
When there is an obstruction so the ureters increase peristalsis in an attempt to move the obstruction out
What are the risk factors for renal stones?
Dehydration
Hypercalciuria, hypercalcaemia
Cystinuria
Hypocitraturia
Hyperuricosuria
High dietary oxalate
Renal tubular acidosis
PCKD or medullary sponge kidney
Urate stones:
Gout
Ileostomy (loss of HCO3- and fluid = acidic urine)
Extensive tissue breakdown e.g. maliganncy
Calcium stones:
Loop diuretics, steroids, acetazolamide, theophylline
Why is obesity a risk factor for renal stones?
Obesity is associated with insulin resistance and compensatory hyperinsulinemia, metabolic derangements that may lead to the formation of calcium-containing kidney stones - this is because insulin resistance may increase the amount of calcium in the urine
How can a high protein diet increase the risk for kidney stones?
It increases the level of uric acid and can reduce levels of urinary citrate which helps prevent stones from forming
How can a high salt diet increase the risk for kidney stones?
It causes you to lose more calcium in the urine as sodium and calcium share the same transport in the kidney