Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
An Immature Murine Model of Reversible Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction
Published on: April 4, 2025
Clinical characteristics and metabolic abnormalities in preschool-age children with urolithiasis in southeast
A M Elmacı1, A Ece2, F Akın3
1Dr. Faruk Sukan Obstetric and Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatric Nephrology, Selcuklu, TR-42060 Konya, Turkey.
Insights
Urolithiasis in young children is often linked to metabolic issues like hyperuricosuria and hypocitraturia. Early investigation of kidney stones in children with hematuria or urinary tract infections is crucial to prevent kidney damage.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Urology
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Urolithiasis (kidney stone disease) in preschool-age children is uncommon, with limited data on its causes and presentation.
- Understanding the metabolic and clinical factors is essential for effective management and prevention in this age group.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the metabolic etiology and clinical characteristics of urolithiasis in preschool-age children.
- To identify common metabolic abnormalities and clinical findings associated with kidney stones in this population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of medical records for 143 preschool-age children (aged 2-6 years) diagnosed with urolithiasis.
- Evaluation included physical examination, serum biochemistry, and comprehensive urine metabolic assessments (citrate, oxalate, calcium, uric acid, cystine, magnesium).
Main Results:
- The most common presenting symptoms were hematuria (33%) and urinary tract infection (UTI; 29%).
- Metabolic abnormalities were prevalent, found in 83.2% of patients, with hyperuricosuria (24.5%) and hypocitraturia (23.8%) being most frequent.
- Stone analysis revealed calcium oxalate/phosphate, cystine, and uric acid stones. Renal parenchymal scarring was observed in 27.8% of children with UTI.
Conclusions:
- Hyperuricosuria and hypocitraturia are the primary metabolic abnormalities in preschool children with urolithiasis.
- Comprehensive evaluation for metabolic stone disease is vital in children presenting with hematuria and UTI to prevent renal parenchymal scarring.
Objective:
Data on urolithiasis in preschool-age children are limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the metabolic etiology and clinical findings of preschool-age children with urolithiasis.
Methods:
The medical records of 143 preschool-age children (81 boys, 62 girls, aged 2-6 years) with urolithiasis were retrospectively analyzed. Results of physical examination, serum biochemistry, and urine metabolic evaluation (including urinary citrate, oxalate, calcium, uric acid, cystine, and magnesium) were recorded.
Results:
The mean age at diagnosis was 3.7 ± 1.3 years. A family history of stone disease was found in 79.7% of patients, and 37% of parents had consanguineous marriages. The most common presenting symptoms were hematuria (33%) and urinary tract infection (UTI; 29%). Metabolic abnormalities were found in 119 (83.2%) patients, including hyperuricosuria in 24.5%, hypocitraturia in 23.8%, hyperoxaluria in 21.7%, hypercalciuria in 21.0%, cystinuria in 7.7%, and hypomagnesuria in 1.4%. Multiple metabolic abnormalities were found in 24 (16.8%) patients. Results of 28 stone analyses revealed calcium oxalate or phosphate, cystine, and uric acid in 15, nine, and four of the patients, respectively. (99m)Technetium-dimercaptosuccinic acid renal scintigraphy revealed that 27.8% of the children with UTI had renal parenchymal scarring, with only four of them having vesicoureteral reflux.
Conclusion:
The most frequent metabolic abnormalities in preschool-age children with urolithiasis were hyperuricosuria and hypocitraturia. A comprehensive investigation of stone disease in children presenting with hematuria and UTI is important to prevent the development of renal parenchymal scarring.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:26Urinary Tract Calculi II: Pathophysiology and Clinical Manifestations
01:30Urinary Tract Calculi III: Medical Management
01:28Urinary Tract Calculi I: Introduction
01:27Urinary Tract Calculi IV: Nutrition Therapy and Prevention
01:28Urinary Tract Calculi V: Nursing Management
01:25Urinary Tract Calculi VI: Surgical Management