Urinary lithiasis

Urinary lithiasis is a disease in which calculi form in the kidney and urinary tract. Roughly 5 % of the human population suffers to some degree from urinary lithiasis. A number of severely afflicted patients (e.g. ca. 60,000 in West Germany and more than 100,000 in the U.S.) are hospitalized yearly for major surgical treatment. Obviously, nephrolithiasis is not only a common ailment but also an issue of great social and economic consequence. 

Inhalation via a demand valve of nitrous oxide and oxygen, as in obstetrics, may be used temporarily in other situations e.g. urinary lithiasis, trigeminal neuralgia, during postoperative chest physiotherapy, for changing painful dressings and in emergency ambulances. 

Increased urinary excretion of calcium and phosphate may lead to urinary lithiasis. 

Cohen-Solal F, Abdelmoula J, Hoarau MP, Jimgers P, Lacour B, Daudon M. Les lithiases urinaires d origine med-icamenteuse. [Urinary lithiasis of medical origin.] Therapie 2001 56(6) 743-50. 

Kubota M, Nishi-Nagase M, Sakakihara Y, Noma S, Nakamoto M, Kawaguchi H, Yanagisawa M. Zonisamide-induced urinary lithiasis in patients with intractable epilepsy. Brain Dev 2000 22(4) 230-3. 

Kawashima A, Glockner JF, King BF Jr (2003) CT urography and MR urography. Radiol Clin North Am 41 945-961 Kawashima K, Vrtiska TJ, LeRoy AJ et al (2004) CT urography. RadioGraphics 24 535-58 Kenney PJ (2003) CT evaluation of urinary lithiasis. Radiol Clin North Am 41 979-999... 

Pathogenesis of Urinary Lithiasis 594 Urinary Mucoproteins and Lithiasis Comparative Pathology of Urolithiasis Conclusion... 

Although most of this discussion concerns stones originating in the kidney, lithiasis may be primary to the bladder or the ureters. Whereas phosphate and oxalate stones develop more frequently in the kidney, bladder stones are usually of the urate type. The geographical distribution of urinary lithiasis varies considerably. The disease is common in central Russia, China, Canton, and India. However, in India and China bladder stones are the type seen most often, whereas renal stones are more common in America. 

Lonsdale [87, 88] has reviewed the epidemiology of urinary lithiasis and concludes that bladder stones have become rare in adult man. The bladder stones Lonsdale found were urate stones and were believed to result from faulty diet. Bladder stones, composed of urate and oxalates, are seen in young people, rarely in the West, but commonly in India, Turkey, and Thailand. In contrast, kidney stones are a relatively frequent ailment in the West (200,000 new cases a year in the United States). Kidney stones are usually made of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, or MgNH4 phosphates. The incidence seems to be highest among those with sedentary professions, and renal lithiasis is said to constitute an occupational hazard among airplane pilots. 

Bruwer A (1979) Primary renal calculi Anderson-Carr-Ran-dall progression AJR 132 751-758 Bruziere J, Roubach L (1981) Urinary lithiasis in children. Eur J Urol 7 134-135... 

This was conducted on 23 persons belonging to four generations (7 females and 16 males). In 7 males and one female the red cell APRT was reduced to at least 50%. Only two of the subjects had gout (the propositus II - 2 and his brother II - 4). Three had urinary lithiasis (the propositus II - 2, a brother II - 4, and a nephew III -13). Seven had either biochemical or clinical signs or both of uric... 

The family study showed in some members there was an association between the APRT deficiency and signs of abnormal purine metabolism, and others where the enzyme deficiency was without any apparent abnormality of purine metabolism. However, this cannot be the explanation for existence of urinary lithiasis in subject III - 13 when the level of APRT activity in the red cells was normal. 

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