composition of urinary tract stones
Last reviewed 01/2018
The various types of renal stone are listed below:
- calcium oxalate stones:
- 80% of all stones
- radio-opaque
- solitary, hard and white
- require alkaline urine
- triple phosphate stones:
- 10% of all stones
- radio-opaque
- may fill the calyceal system (Staghorn calculi)
- require very alkaline urine, often with urea-splitting bacteria
- uric acid stones:
- 5-10% of all stones
- radio-lucent
- multiple
- associated with gout and other causes of urate nephropathy e.g. chemotherapy for leukaemia
- cystine stones:
- rare
- radio-opaque
- usually seen in patients with cystinuria