A method for quantitative wet chemical analysis of urinary calculi

We describe a simple method for quantitative chemical analysis of urinary calculi requiring no specialized equipment. Pulverized calculi are dried over silica gel at room temperature and dissolved in nitric acid, which was the only effective agent for complete dissolution. Calcium, magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate are then determined by conventional methods. Oxalate is determined by a method based on the quenching action of oxalate on the fluorescence of a zirconium-flavonol complex. Uric acid, when treated with nitric acid, is stoichiometrically converted to alloxan, which is determined fluorimetrically with 1,2-phenylenediamine. Similarly, cystine is oxidized by nitric acid to sulfate, which is determined turbidimetrically as barium sulfate. Protein is determined spectrophotometrically as xanthoprotein. The total mass recovery of authentic calculi was 92.2 +/- 6.7 (SD) per cent. The method permits analysis of calculi as small as 1.0 mg. Internal quality control is performed with specially designed control samples.