Bone mineral content in idiopathic renal stone disease and in primary hyperparathyroidism

Bone mineral content (BMC) was measured with the Norland Cameron apparatus in 120 renal stone formers (RSF) with idiopathic stone disease and in 41 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. RSF were classified, according to an oral calcium load test, into three groups: no hypercalciuria (HC; 41 cases); absorptive HC (53 cases), and resorptive or renal HC (25 cases). BMC values in RSF as a group were significantly lower than normal (p less than 0.001, Mann-Whitney test) though higher than in hyperparathyroid patients. There was a trend for BMC to decrease from male RSF without HC to patients with renal or resorptive HC. No statistical difference was found between the groups, however, BMC values in absorptive HC were different from normal (p less than 0.001). Why patients with HC are demineralized is unclear since no correlation was found between BMC and basal values of serum phosphate, TRP, calculated TmP/GFR, urinary calcium or hydroxyproline. Nevertheless our results indicate that urolithiasis, and possibly its treatment, is not a benign condition for the skeleton.