Melamine related bilateral renal calculi in 50 children: single center experience in clinical diagnosis and treatment.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the clinical diagnosis and treatment features of bilateral renal calculi in young children who ingested melamine tainted infant milk formula.


METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed clinical data on 50 children (mean +/- SE age 23.4 +/- 3.1 months) with a history of ingesting melamine tainted infant milk formula and suffering from bilateral renal calculi. All patients underwent ultrasound and renal function evaluation. Treatment included cessation of melamine tainted formula consumption, hydration, urine basification and hemodialysis if necessary.


RESULTS
Bilateral renal calculi peaked in 6 to 18-month-olds (58% of cases). The male-to-female ratio was 3.1:1.0. Calculi ranged in diameter from 4 to 10 mm in 33 patients (66%) and 2.5 to 4 mm in 17 (34%). Of the 11 patients with renal failure 8 underwent 1 to 4 sessions of hemodialysis. Of the 9 bilateral obstruction cases with renal failure 8 did not require surgical intervention but 1 required ureteral catheterization to drain the renal pelvis. All children experienced a good outcome and were discharged home after a mean +/- SE hospitalization of 8.1 +/- 0.7 days.


CONCLUSIONS
Melamine related urinary calculi were most often seen in patients 6 to 18 months old. Conservative management has been sufficient in most cases. However, these children need to be monitored for long-term effects of melamine tainted milk formula consumption.
Wen
Jian Guo
JG
Key Laboratory of Clinical Medicine, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. wenjg@hotmail.com
Li
Zhen Z
ZZ
Zhang
Hong
H
Wang
Yan
Y
Zhang
Rui F
RF
Yang
Li
L
Chen
Yan
Y
Wang
Jia X
JX
Zhang
Sheng J
SJ
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005506:Food Contamination; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D012117:Resins, Synthetic / Q000633:toxicity*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014227:Triazines / Q000633:toxicity*
D012117:Resins, Synthetic; D014227:Triazines; C011907:melamine