[Urolithiasis. Review of present knowledge of epidemiology, pathogenesis, metaphylaxis and treatment]

The incidence and prevalence of urolithiasis in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic is as high as in other countries of Central and Western Europe, and lower than in the Scandinavian countries. Apart from its high incidence, urolithiasis is characterized by its high tendency to recurrence. New knowledge of its pathogenesis helps to diagnose metabolic disorders responsible for increased excretion of concretion-producing substances and/or for deficiency in protective factors. In case of calcium oxalate lithiasis, with the highest incidence, attention is to be paid to its various forms of hypercalciuria, and, more recently, to moderate hyperoxaluria, and as regards protective factors, to magnesium, citrates, pyrophosphates and mucopolysaccharides. The determination of the type of metabolical disorder in patients with lithiasis enables to modify the diet and/or medication leading to causal prophylaxis against recurrence, i.e. metaphylaxis. At our Prague urological clinic, a consultation centre for lithiatic patients has been in operation since 1977. Long-term experience has shown that it has been successful especially in preventing recurrence or a in a substantial reduction in recurrence in 94% of the followed-up patients. Although the centre's activity is demanding both on the personnel and laboratory, even first sufferers from ilthiatic attacks should take advantage of it. At this early stage, such patients were found to have a metabolic disorders in 60%. In the past 7 years of treating nephrolithiasis and ureterolithiasis, new methods have been introduced which substantially improve the results and are less invasive than a classical operation. Among others, they comprise percutaneous endoscopic methods of disintegration and concrement extraction from the kidney and ureter, uteroscopy and extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy. It is to be expected that these methods will replace classical operations at a rate of 90%.