Mineral Composition Of Uroliths Research Articles

Morphology of organomineral formations of kidneys of Dnipropetrovsk region residents

The article presents the results of morphology research of the organomineral formations of the residents of Dnipropetrovsk region and proposes the typification of uroliths according to the peculiarities of their morphology. Determination of the structure and mineral composition of uroliths is necessary for urologists for a reasonable appointment of therapeutic and preventive actions to the patient. Existing Ukrainian and world standards for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with urolithiasis provide for mineralogical examination of urolithiasis for each patient. At the same time, now in Ukraine the implementation of such studies is proactive and sporadic, which leads to an increase in the number of diseases and their severity. Due to the fact that organomineral concretions in general and uroliths in particular are biomineral formations, and minerals are the subject of mineralogy and crystallography, it is necessary, first of all, to consider some features of mineral morphology in relation to urolith formation. Along with genetically determined mineral formations of living organisms, pathogenic biominerals are also widespread, in particular, urinary and kidney stones - uroliths, which are a natural consequence of the development of urolithiasis. It has been established that polymineral formations predominate in the composition of the studied uroliths of the inhabitants of the Dnipropetrovsk region. Various combinations of oxalates (vevellite, veddilite), phosphates (mainly hydroxyl apatite - collophane), urate (uric acid, uric acid dihydrate), organic matter, and in some cases purines (xanthine) are most common in the studied samples. Also, in all the studied samples there are certain defects of the minerals forming them. The morphology of organomineral formations is largely determined by the position of their location. The central part of the organomineral formations of the studied samples was usually represented by accumulations of organic matter containing a highly dispersed mineral component. In addition, a characteristic feature of all mineral individuals without exception is their large-scale microblocking and the presence of inclusions of organic matter.

Epidemiology of urolithiasis in dogs from Guadalajara City, Mexico

Urolithiasis is a frequent and recurrent problem in dogs around the world. Several epidemiological studies based on mineral composition of uroliths have been carried out in different geographical areas. The objective of this study was to analyze epidemiological data of 195 dogs with urolithiasis from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico. To determine the chemical composition of uroliths, quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed by means of stereoscopic microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. The dogs` median age was six years and a male-female ratio of 1.4:1 was observed. The most affected pure breed dogs were schnauzer, poodle, Labrador retriever, Yorkshire terrier, and German shepherd. The frequency of uroliths of struvite, calcium oxalate, urates, mixes, and compounds, is similar to the one found in other studies performed in other populations. However, a much higher frequency of silicate-containing uroliths (16.92%) was observed, both in a pure form as well as in mineral mixtures. These results led us to suggest the need to develop further investigations to determine the origin of this high frequency.Figure 1. Different types of uroliths. Note the differences in shape, size, color, and number; however, none of these characteristics is specific to a particular mineral composition.

Ultrasonographic localization and mineral profile of urinary calculi in young and adult bovine

The study was conducted on 13 male bovine animals suffering from obstructive urolithiasis to evaluate the diagnostic approach, surgical outcome and mineral composition of uroliths. The animals were divided in two groups, Group I (n=8) of young animals and Group II (n=5) of adult animals. B-mode ultrasonography was done for locating the uroliths in penile urethra. All the animals were subjected to urethrotomy followed by ultrasonography at the suspected site of urolith lodgement. Ammonium chloride as urinary acidifier was given @ 50 mg/kg body weight orally for 60 days was found beneficial for preventing recurrence of uroliths. It was observed that urethra heals normally in three weeks if left unsutured and the majority of uroliths were present at tip of penis in Group I and in sigmoid flexure in Group II animals. Staphylococcus species were the most prevalent bacteria causing bovine urinary tract infections associated with urolithiasis in both groups. It was concluded that ultrasonography was efficient to localize uroliths in urethra in both groups of animals. On Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy estimation, calcium carbonate, carbonate apatite in Group I whereas calcium carbonate in majority of Group II animals, were the most common types of minerals causing formation of uroliths.