Pediatric urolithiasis in the central coast of Tunisia: Epidemiologic changes over the past twenty-five years

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Pediatric Nephrology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Pediatric urolithiasis incidence has shown a declining trend in Tunisia and other Mediterranean regions over the past 25 years.
• Understanding the changing composition of pediatric kidney stones is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the incidence and composition of urolithiasis in pediatric patients.
• To identify trends in stone types over a 25-year period.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of pediatric urolithiasis cases.
• Evaluation of stone composition over the study period (1982-2007).

Main Results:

• A consistent decrease in the overall incidence of pediatric urolithiasis was observed.
• The prevalence of calcium oxalate stones increased, while infection-related stones (struvite) decreased.
• Whewellite, a form of calcium oxalate, was more common in school-aged children.

Conclusions:

• Improved diagnostics and treatment of urinary tract infections in children likely contributed to the decrease in struvite stones.
• The shift towards calcium oxalate stones highlights evolving etiological factors in pediatric urolithiasis.