Urolithiasis in children

Urinary tract calculi in children are rare in the United States, with an incidence of 1 to 4 per 1000 pediatric admissions. Primary and secondary calculi are different in causation, chemical composition, and prognosis, and must be considered separately. Review of the literature in the United States and England suggests that in 60 per cent of children, as in adults, no causation will be found. Our experience with twenty-five primary and twenty-five secondary calculi in a nonendemic area, however, shows only six truly idiopathic stones. Thorough urologic and metabolic evaluation has been rewarded with an appreciable yield of metabolic or structural abnormalities. Treatment consists of standard urologic management of stones, as well as specific therapy directed at the underlying causes.