Renal Calculi

Renal calculi, commonly called kidney stones (or nephrolithiasis), are hard, stone-like masses that form when soluble crystals - mainly salts of sodium oxalate and certain phosphates - precipitate out and accumulate within the renal tubules or the renal pelvis, together with deposited uric acid. As these masses grow and move through the narrow passages of the urinary tract, they cause a severe, characteristic pain known as renal colic, and repeated episodes can leave scarring on the kidneys. Depending on their size and location, renal stones are removed either surgically (pyelolithotomy) or, more commonly today, …