KIDNEY STONE

also called Renal Calculus, plural Renal Calculi, concretion of minerals and organic matter that forms in the kidneys. Such stones may become so large as to impair normal renal function. Urine contains many salts in solution and if the concentration of mineral salts becomes excessive, the excess salt precipitates as solid particles called stones. Kidney stones are classified as primary if they form without apparent cause, such as an infection or obstruction. They are classified as secondary if they develop after a renal infection or disorder. Certain circumstances increase the likelihood of stone formation. Either a reduction in fluid volume or a surge in mineral concentration can be enough to upset the delicate balance between the liquid and its solutes. Once a stone starts developing, it generally continues to grow. A nucleus for precipitation of urinary salts can be a clump of bacteria, degenerated tissue, sloughed-off cells, or a tiny blood clot. Minerals start collecting around the foreign particle and encrusting it. As the stone increases in size, the surface area available for additional mineral deposition is continually increased. Kidney stones, if large, can obstruct the outflow of urine, cause infections to begin, and create spasms in the renal tubules, a condition known as renal colic. In renal colic there is generally severe pain leading from the kidneys down through the abdomen and groin. Stones may cause obstruction in the renal pelvis (the funnel-like structure at which the kidney joins the ureter), in a ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder), or in the bladder. Many persons with kidney stones fail to show distinct symptoms. Others can have severe kidney pain, infection, and inflammation. In treatment any current infections are dealt with, medications are given in attempts to dissolve the stones, and large stones that fail to dissolve are removed by surgery.