Abstract
Renal stones in children: Evaluation and medical management
Highlights
Renal stone disease, known as nephrolithiasis, has become an important cause of childhood morbidity and healthcare expenditure worldwide[1,2,3]
Epidemiology considered an adult disease in the past, nephrolithiasis has become increasingly prevalent in children
Calcium oxalate is the predominant constituent of the majority of stones (75-80%) in the Western world in both adult and children followed by calcium phosphate (5-10%), magnesium ammonium phosphate (1020%), uric acid (5%) and cystine (5%)[13]
Summary
The goals are to identify children at risk of recurrent stone formation and to diagnose specific treatable metabolic conditions These laboratory investigations should preferably be done as an outpatient when the child is taking his or her normal diet as special dietary precautions could obscure some diagnoses such as absorptive hypercalciuria. Radiological imaging Ultrasound scan is the initial imaging modality of choice for children suspected to have stones because it is readily available and has the advantage of detecting hydronephrosis, nephrocalcinosis and any anatomical abnormality of the urinary tract that might predispose to stone formation. It is less sensitive in detecting small stones and ureteric stones[16,17]. Calcium oxalate is the predominant constituent of the majority of stones (75-80%) in the Western world in both adult and children followed by calcium phosphate (5-10%), magnesium ammonium phosphate (1020%), uric acid (5%) and cystine (5%)[13]
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