title: Composition of kidney stone fragments obtained after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to determine the composition of kidney stone fragments obtained after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL).
  
  
  METHODS
  Kidney stone fragments from 25 patients with urolithiasis treated with ESWL were submitted for morphological analysis. The composition was determined for all the recovered fragments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirteen patients (52%) had pure stones. The most common type of pure stone was calcium oxalate (61.6%), of which half was the monohydrate type (COM) and half was the dihydrate type (COD). The other pure stones consisted of either uric acid (30.8%) or struvite (7.6%). For mixed stones, the most frequently observed component was COM or COD (50%), followed by a mixture of COD and carbapatite (25.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that the composition of kidney stone fragments recovered after ESWL can be determined. Knowledge of stone composition is fundamental to understand the etiology of lithogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Hepatic and Renal Diseases, Federal University of Ceará (UFC), Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. silviafernandes@unifor.br
authors.forename: Silvia Fernandes
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Ribeiro da Silva
authors.forename: Sônia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leite da Silva
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Francesco Daher
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Holanda Campos
authors.forename: Carlos Antônio
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Bruno da Silva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000737:chemistry*; D008096:Lithotripsy; D017616:Magnesium Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010710:Phosphates / Q000032:analysis; D000069877:Struvite; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D017616:Magnesium Compounds; D010710:Phosphates; D002129:Calcium Oxalate; D014527:Uric Acid; D000069877:Struvite