[Rational diagnostic and therapy of renal colic in the year 2005--what's new?]

The acute flank pain is the most frequent urological emergency. Patients with renal colic are usually treated in emergency care units or by their family doctors and require immediate diagnosis and treatment. Up to 10 % of the population is estimated to suffer from kidney colic at least once in their lifetime. Besides, renal colic can occur during pregnancy and childhood, which require special attention when deciding therapy. Differential diagnosis of acute flank pain contains a series of diseases which belong not only in the urological field but need adequate directly therapy. Particularly, these principles should give useful advice, wherever patients are treated without urological department.