Ureteric Calculi Research Paper
By Jonas Wilson, Ing. Med.
Causes of Ureteric Calculi
Ureterolithiasis or ureteric calculi are stones that are present in the ureters, which are the muscular tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder. These tubes are physiologically constricted at 3 points along their lengths, namely at the ureteropelvic junction, entry into the pelvis as they cross the bifurcation of the common iliac artery and the ureterovesical junction. As a consequence, these points are the commonest sites where ureteric calculi may become impacted. This may cause a myriad of signs and symptoms that may be site-specific and related to the degree of urinary obstruction.
Patients may present with nausea, vomiting, blood in the urine and pain in the back, flank and lower abdomen. This pain is usually colicky in nature, which means that it presents in a pattern of waves owing to the peristalsis of the ureters. However, it may also be constant. Typically, the pain is abrupt in onset and may be confused with other abdominal pathologies depending on exactly where within the abdomen it radiates to. Right-sided pain may be confused, for example, with appendicitis (i.e. inflammation of the appendix). There are several different types of calculi and the etiology surrounding the development of ureteric calculi may be multifactorial. …show more content…
These are calcium, struvite, uric acid and cysteine calculi. Nearly 8 in every 10 ureteric stones will be found to be composed predominantly of calcium. Struvite stones are those that are composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate and these account for around 15% of cases, while uric acid and cysteine stones account for approximately 6% and 2%, respectively. The etiological factors that cause these different stones varies.
Causes of Ureteric Calculi
Ureterolithiasis or ureteric calculi are stones that are present in the ureters, which are the muscular tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder. These tubes are physiologically constricted at 3 points along their lengths, namely at the ureteropelvic junction, entry into the pelvis as they cross the bifurcation of the common iliac artery and the ureterovesical junction. As a consequence, these points are the commonest sites where ureteric calculi may become impacted. This may cause a myriad of signs and symptoms that may be site-specific and related to the degree of urinary obstruction.
Patients may present with nausea, vomiting, blood in the urine and pain in the back, flank and lower abdomen. This pain is usually colicky in nature, which means that it presents in a pattern of waves owing to the peristalsis of the ureters. However, it may also be constant. Typically, the pain is abrupt in onset and may be confused with other abdominal pathologies depending on exactly where within the abdomen it radiates to. Right-sided pain may be confused, for example, with appendicitis (i.e. inflammation of the appendix). There are several different types of calculi and the etiology surrounding the development of ureteric calculi may be multifactorial. …show more content…
These are calcium, struvite, uric acid and cysteine calculi. Nearly 8 in every 10 ureteric stones will be found to be composed predominantly of calcium. Struvite stones are those that are composed of magnesium ammonium phosphate and these account for around 15% of cases, while uric acid and cysteine stones account for approximately 6% and 2%, respectively. The etiological factors that cause these different stones varies.