Slightly radiopaque uric acid calculi: impact upon therapeutic considerations?

Ten patients with slightly radiopaque urinary calculi were treated by percutaneous litholapaxy or even open surgery. The stone analysis revealed uric acid as the main stone composite suggesting that these patients should have been treated by oral litholysis alone alkalinizing the urine and decreasing uric acid levels with allopurinol. CT density measurements proved that concrements with HE less than 600 can be successfully dissolved by oral medication alone. Twenty-four patients were subsequently treated by oral citrate alkalinizing the spontaneous urine to pH 6.8-7.2 dissolving even large staghorns within 6-8 weeks. CT density measurements have become a routine diagnostic procedure when poorly radiopaque calculi are found on the standard plain film. The patient can thus be spared invasive treatment which is unnecessary in most cases.