Kidney Stone Dissolution Therapy in Phosphate Stones: A Case Report

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Nephrology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Phosphate stones, including struvite, apatite, and brushite types, often form large staghorn calculi.
• Complete surgical removal is critical to prevent recurrence, but can be challenging for large stones.
• Local chemolysis presents a potential treatment option for residual stone fragments or when complete surgical removal is not feasible.

Observation:

• An 84-year-old male patient presented with a significant phosphate stone burden.
• The patient underwent local chemolysis therapy utilizing a citric acid solution.

Findings:

• Citric acid chemolysis led to a rapid and substantial reduction in the patient's stone load.
• The therapy facilitated the possibility of employing less invasive treatment modalities.

Implications:

• Local chemolysis with citric acid is a viable and effective treatment for managing complex phosphate stones.
• This method can serve as an adjuvant therapy post-surgery or as a primary treatment when surgery is contraindicated.
• Further research into the procedure's advantages, disadvantages, and indications is warranted.