Pediatric urolithiasis: an 8-year experience of single centre

The objective was to investigate the clinical features and metabolic and anatomic risk factors for kidney stone formation in our patient group.

Between 1998 and 2005, 179 children (94 girls, 85 boys) followed in our department because of urolithiasis were enrolled to participate in our study. Clinical presentation, urinary tract infection, stone localisation, positive family history, stone composition, presence of anatomic abnormalities and urinary metabolic risk factors, and treatment modality were evaluated retrospectively.

The mean age at diagnosis of stone disease was 4.5 years (range 0.25–15.3 years). The mean follow-up duration was 8 months (range 1–98). The major clinical presentations of our patients were abdominal pain and/or flank pain in 100 children (55.9%) and macroscopic hematuria in 25 (14%). Urinary tract infection was detected in 20% of patients on admission. Forty-three children (24%) had a urinary tract abnormality and ureteropelvic junction obstruction was the most common abnormality. A family history of stone disease was recorded in 98 patients (54.7%). Stones were located within the renal parenchyma in 90 patients. Hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria were detected in 42.3 and 54.8% respectively. Stone analysis was performed in 63 children and calcium oxalate was a major mineral. Surgical treatment was performed in 49 children and extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) in 41 children.

We think that urolithiasis remains a serious problem in children in our country. Family history of urolithiasis, urologic abnormalities (especially under the age of 5 years), metabolic disorders and urinary tract infections tend to indicate childhood urolithiasis.