title: In Vivo Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Eight Types of Urinary Calculi Using Spiral Computerized Tomography in a Chinese Population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was conducted to evaluate the chemical composition of eight types of urinary calculi using spiral computerized tomography (CT) in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  From October 2011 to February 2013, upper urinary tract calculi were obtained from 122 patients in the department of urinary surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University. All patients were scanned with a 64-detector row helical CT scanner using 6.50 mm collimation before ureterorenoscopy. Data from the preoperative spiral CT scans and postoperative chemical composition of urinary calculi were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The chemical composition analysis indicates that there were five types of pure calculi and three types of mixed calculi, including 39 calcium oxalate calculi, 12 calcium phosphate calculi, 10 calcium carbonate calculi, 8 magnesium ammonium phosphate calculi, 6 carbonated apatite, 21 uric acid/ammonium urate calculi, 10 uric acid/calcium oxalate calculi, and 16 calcium oxalate/calcium phosphate calculi. There were significant differences in the mean CT values among the five types of pure calculi (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we also observed significant differences in the mean CT values among three types of mixed calculi (P < 0.001). Significant differences in the mean CT values were also found among eight types of urinary calculi (P < 0.001). However, no statistically significant difference was observed between the mean CT values of magnesium ammonium phosphate calculi and uric acid/calcium oxalate calculi (P = 0.262).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that spiral CT could be a promising tool for determining the chemical composition of upper urinary tract calculi.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhong-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ke-Feng
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Zhen-Qun
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000838:Anions / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D017610:Calcium Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D002681:China; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000838:Anions; D017610:Calcium Compounds; D014527:Uric Acid
keywords: chemical composition; spiral computerized tomography; upper urinary tract calculi