title: [Uric acid nephrolithiasis].
abstract: Uric acid nephrolithiasis is frequent accounting for 10% of urinary stones in industrialized countries. Its frequency will increase in the next decades because of the ageing and the increasing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The pathophysiologic defect is an excessively acidic urine pH rather than hyperuricosuria. Undissociated uric acid is poorly soluble in acidic urines (pH < 5.5) but solubility increases when sodium urate forms at higher pH. Insulin resistance may contribute to the development of acidic urine because of higher net acid excretion. Because uric acid kidney stones are radiolucent, diagnosis is based on echography and tomodensitometry. Medical management strategies focus primarily on alkali treatment and/or decreasing hyper-uricosuria.
authors.affiliation: Centre de néphrologie et de transplantation rénale, hôpital de la Conception, 13385 Marseille Cedex 05. bertrand.dussol@ap-hm.fr
authors.forename: Bertrand
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dussol
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D053040:Nephrolithiasis / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D014527:Uric Acid