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Pediatric urolithiasis: an experience of a single center
Afshin Safaei Asl1, Shohreh Maleknejad
1Division of Nephrology, Department of Pediatrics, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran. afshin_safaei2@yahoo.com
Insights
Childhood urolithiasis is a significant health concern. Key risk factors include family history, urinary tract infections, and metabolic disorders, particularly in younger children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Urology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Urolithiasis (kidney stones) presents unique challenges in pediatric populations.
- Identifying clinical and metabolic risk factors is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate clinical features and identify metabolic and anatomic risk factors for childhood urolithiasis.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 84 children treated for urolithiasis between 2004-2009.
- Evaluated clinical presentation, infection, calculus location, family history, anatomic abnormalities, and metabolic risk factors.
Main Results:
- Most common symptoms: urinary tract infection, restlessness, abdominal pain.
- Significant risk factors: positive family history (27.3%), UTIs (23.8%), anatomic abnormalities (10.7%).
- Metabolic evaluation revealed risk factors in 52.6% of patients, including hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria.
Conclusions:
- Urolithiasis is a serious pediatric issue.
- Associated factors include family history, urologic abnormalities (especially <5 years), metabolic disorders, and UTIs.
Introduction:
The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and metabolic and anatomic risk factors of urolithiasis in children.
Materials And Methods:
Between 2004 and 2009, a total of 84 children (35 girls and 49 boys) had been treated because of urolithiasis. Clinical presentation, urinary tract infection, calculus localization, family history, presence of anatomic abnormalities, and urinary metabolic risk factors were evaluated, retrospectively.
Results:
The children were between 6 months and 16 years of age (mean age, 5.25 ± 3.61 years). The calculus diameter was 3.2 mm to 31 mm (mean, 7.31 ± 4.64 mm). In 90.6% of the cases, the calculus was located only in the kidneys and in 2.4% it was only in the bladder. The most common presentations were urinary tract infection, restlessness, and abdominal pain. A positive family history of urinary calculi was detected in 27.3%; urinary tract infection, in 23.8%; and anatomic abnormality, in 10.7% of the patients. Metabolic evaluation, which was carried out in 78 patients, revealed that 52.6% of them had a metabolic risk factor including normocalcemic hypercalciuria (21.7%), hyperuricosuria (11.5%), cystinuria (3.8%), and hyperoxaluria (5.1%).
Conclusions:
We think that urolithiasis remains a serious problem in children in our country. Family history of urolithiasis, urologic abnormalities, especially under the age of 5 years, metabolic disorders, and urinary tract infections tend to be associated with childhood urolithiasis.
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