ABSTRACT
Urinary tract calculi are common, often occurring in relatively young people. Fortunately deaths are very rare. The past three decades have seen dramatic advances in minimally invasive treatment. Recurrent calculi are largely preventable, but in a minority of cases this requires treatment of important underlying diseases. Pain from stones obstructing the upper urinary tracts (kidney and ureter) is termed colic, but this is a misnomer. Ureteric calculi can cause very significant GI symptoms. Nausea and vomiting are very common as is abdominal distension. Macroscopic haematuria is uncommon but dipstickpositive haematuria is almost always present when patients have severe symptoms. The urine in an obstructed, infected, upper urinary tract quickly becomes purulent, and, combined with raised pressure, rapidly destroys the renal parenchyma. A raised serum calcium or uric acid level can often cause stone formation.
