title: The aetiological and clinical pattern of childhood urolithiasis in Saudi Arabia.
abstract: The clinical and aetiological pattern in 85 stone-forming children presenting to an integrated nephrourological service in Riyadh is reviewed. All patients were below the age of 15 years, the male to female ratio being 2:1. Only 2 children presented with bladder calculi. The remaining all had upper tract stones and, in 12 cases, these were bilateral. Of 34 calculi recovered for analysis, one-third was predominantly calcium oxalate and a further third was composed of uric acid or urate. Four patients had cysteine stones and the remaining 7 presented mixed calcium stones, 6 (17.6%) being struvite and infection-related. Of the 85 patients 55 were treated successfully with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, 16 underwent surgery and 7 had their stones removed by endourological procedures. In the remaining 7 children, stones dissolved or were passed spontaneously during medical therapy. Nine children (10.6%) showed a primary metabolic defect leading to their stone formation, 10 (11.8%) had a predisposing anatomical anomaly and 15 (17.6%) presented with urinary tract infection. Of the remaining 51 patients (60%) with idiopathic disease, 6 showed hypercalciuria on investigation and 2 children may have formed their stones due to prolonged recumbency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Rasheed
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: el-Faqih
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Abdurrahman
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: al-Mugeirin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008096:Lithotripsy; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000737:chemistry / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy