Urolithiasis in primary care

Urolithiasis is a common, multifactorial, medically manageable disease. Primary care physicians can play a prominent role in metabolic evaluation and medical treatment of patients with urolithiasis. Patients should be referred for urologic evaluation in the presence of intractable urinary tract infection, progressive renal damage, urinary obstruction, refractory pain, or presence of stones of uncertain etiology. Expectant management of symptomatic ureteral stones can be undertaken by a primary care physician in conjunction with urologic support. Interventional treatment of urinary stones has improved markedly with the availability of extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy, and percutaneous stone removal. In patients with certain types of urinary stones, medical treatment can greatly reduce the incidence of subsequent stone-forming episodes.