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Urinary stone disease continues to be a public health problem with growing incidence and recurrences. Recurrence is nearly detected in 50% of the patients within 5 years after the first episode. However, stone recurrence rates can be reduced to a certain extent. The American Urological Association (AUA) and the European Urological Association (EAU) guidelines advice dietary, fluid intake, and medical treatment to prevent or minimize stone recurrence. However, studies have shown that compliance to dietary and fluid intake recommendations is low. Beside this, nutritional evaluation of the patients is sufficient. Using food frequency questionnaires (FFQs), 24 h recall methods (short, individual-oriented, and easily applicable) or mobile apps can be used. In addition, cooperation with registered dietitians (RD) and planning tailored dietary programmes may have positive effect on compliance. Providers who give dietary advices should improve their knowledge about the topic and communication skills to create a patient–provider trust relationship. Simplifying the advices (shorter lists, applicable advices), spending more time, and giving education until being sure for patients’ understanding with regular remindings may improve adherence. Moreover, patients increased awareness and knowledge about dietary advices are beneficial. Smart devices for fluid uptake or urine pH monitoring, mobile apps or web-based portals, and telemedicine applications can be used to maintain the compliance on dietary advices. Compliance with dietary modifications and fluid intake recommendations can be well achieved by individualized evaluation/close follow-up and the elimination of the problems limiting the patient compliance.

Background Although the indications of minimally invasive treatments for pediatric urolithiasis are similar to those in adults, it is still crucial to make the right treatment decision due to the special considerations of children. This review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL), percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in the management of pediatric upper urinary tract stones. Methods EMBASE, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library were searched from their first available date to March 2018. The studies that meet the inclusive criteria were included. The efficacy and safety of the treatments were assessed by means of meta-analysis of the stone free rate (SFR), complication rate, effectiveness quotient (EQ) and secondary outcome indicators. Results A total of 13 comparative studies were identified for data analysis. PCNL presented a significantly higher SFR compared with SWL. Similarly, the single-session SFR of RIRS was significantly higher than SWL. However, no significant difference was found between RIRS and SWL in the overall SFR. There was no significant difference between PCNL and RIRS in the SFR. Furthermore, no significant differences in complication rates were found among the three therapies. Compared with the other two treatments, PCNL had a longer operative time, fluoroscopy time and hospital stay. SWL had a shorter hospital stay, higher retreatment rate and auxiliary rate in comparison with the other two treatments. The present data also showed that PCNL presented a higher EQ than the other two treatments, and RIRS had a lower efficiency than SWL and PCNL. In the subgroup analysis of pediatric patients with stone ≤20 mm, the comparative results were similar to those described above, except for the higher complication rate of PCNL than SWL. Conclusions Although SWL as an outpatient procedure provides shorter hospital stay and reduces operative time, it has a lower SFR and higher retreatment rate than the other two treatments. PCNL exhibits a higher SFR and EQ than SWL; nevertheless, it has a longer operative time and fluoroscopy time than the other two procedures. RIRS offers a similar SFR as PCNL but a lower efficiency than PCNL.

Data on upper urinary tract (UUT) uroliths in dogs are important to understanding their etiology. The aim of this retrospective case-control study was to determine the prevalence and identify predictors of radiographically apparent UUT uroliths in dog breeds at increased risk for calcium oxalate uroliths (CaOx risk breeds) and mixed breed dogs. Radiologist reports of three-view abdominal radiographs were reviewed from 251 purebred dogs of 8 CaOx risk breeds and 68 mixed breed dogs. UUT uroliths were more common in CaOx risk breeds than mixed breed dogs (23% versus 6%, respectively; OR = 4.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.7–18.9, p < 0.001). UUT uroliths were more common in dogs with lower urinary tract (LUT) uroliths (predominantly calcium-containing) than those without (41% versus 5%, respectively; OR = 13.6, 95% CI 6.3–33.1, p < 0.001), and LUT uroliths predicted the presence of UUT uroliths in the multivariable regression (OR = 6.5, 95% CI 2.8–16.7, p < 0.001). Increasing age (p < 0.001) and lower body weight (p = 0.0016) were also predictors of UUT urolith presence in the multivariable regression. The high prevalence of UUT uroliths in dogs with LUT uroliths supports a shared mechanism for their formation.

Objectives To investigate the added advantage of IV furosemide injection and the subsequent urine dilution in the detection of urinary calculi in the excretory phase of dual-source dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) urography, and to investigate the feasibility of characterising the calculi through diluted urine. Methods Twenty-three urinary calculi were detected in 116 patients who underwent DECT urography for macroscopic haematuria with a split bolus two- or three-acquisition protocol, including a true unenhanced series and at least a mixed nephrographic excretory phase. Virtual unenhanced images were reconstructed from contrast-enhanced DE data. Calculi were recorded on all series and characterised based on their X-ray absorption characteristics at 100 kVp and 140 kVp in both true unenhanced and nephrographic excretory phase series. Results All calculi with a diameter more than 2 mm were detected in the virtual unenhanced phase and in the nephrographic excretory phase. Thirteen of these calculi could be characterised in the true unenhanced phase and in the mixed nephrographic excretory phase. The results were strictly identical for both phases, six of them being recognised as non-uric acid calculi and seven as uric acid calculi. Conclusions Mixed nephrographic excretory phase DECT after furosemide administration allows both detection and characterisation of clinically significant calculi, through the diluted urine. Key points • Urinary tract stones can be detected on excretory phase through diluted urine. • Urinary tract stone characterisation with dual-energy CT (DECT) is possible through diluted urine. • A dual energy split-bolus CT urography simultaneously enables urinary stone detection and characterisation.

Introduction: A worldwide mounting in the incidence and prevalence of urolithiasis has been observed. The standard treatment of urologic stone disease (USD) has changed from open surgery to extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL), or ureteroscopy depending on the size and location of the stone. We are sharing our experience in utilizing Da Vinci® robotic surgical system to treat patient with urolithiasis instead of open surgical approach. Patients and Methods: We reviewed prospectively collected data of 19 patients who underwent robotic-assisted stone surgery (RSS) between January 2010 and March 2018 at our institute for USD involving 22 nephroureteral units. Results: A total number of 22 RSS were accomplished with no conversion to open. Three patients had bilateral stone and needed to have RSS on each side separately. Eleven RSS were performed on the right. The indications for RSS included as follows: morbid obesity (n = 8, mean body mass index 56.4 kg/m2), need for concurrent renal surgery (n = 3) severe contractures limiting positioning for retrograde endoscopic surgery or PCNL (n = 2), symptomatic calyceal diverticular stone with failed endoscopic approach (n = 4), and after failed PCNL (n = 2). Twenty nephrouretral unit (91%) were rendered stone free on the first attempt with complication occurring after four cases (18%). Conclusion: RSS is viable options in the treatment of challenging urologic stone with high success rate and low risk of complication. The need for open stone surgery was eliminated by RSS at our center.

PurposeTo compare the operating modes of the Holmium:YAG laser and Thulium fiber laser. Additionally, currently available literature on Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy is reviewed.Materials and methodsMedline, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for articles relating to the operating modes of Holmium:YAG and Thulium fiber lasers, including systematic review of articles on Thulium fiber laser lithotripsy.ResultsThe laser beam emerging from the Holmium:YAG laser involves fundamental architectural design constraints compared to the Thulium fiber laser. These differences translate into multiple potential advantages in favor of the Thulium fiber laser: four-fold higher absorption coefficient in water, smaller operating laser fibers (50–150 µm core diameter), lower energy per pulse (as low as 0.025 J), and higher maximal pulse repetition rate (up to 2000 Hz). Multiple comparative in vitro studies suggest a 1.5–4 times faster stone ablation rate in favor of the Thulium fiber laser.ConclusionsThe Thulium fiber laser overcomes the main limitations reported with the Holmium:YAG laser relating to lithotripsy, based on preliminary in vitro studies. This innovative laser technology seems particularly advantageous for ureteroscopy and may become an important milestone for kidney stone treatment.

Background Demographic and clinical factors significantly influence urinary stone composition; however, data from other Arabian Gulf countries still lack further exploration of these variables with the aid of multivariate analyses. This study aims to address this gap by conducting an in‐depth multivariate analysis of the demographic and clinical variables associated with different urinary stone compositions. Methods A retrospective analysis of data from 1193 patients' charts between January 2017 and February 2019. Demographic, clinical data, and stone characteristics were recorded. Statistical analyses included one‐way analysis of variance, Pearson's chi‐square, and multinomial logistic regression to identify factors associated with different stone compositions. Results A total of 1193 patients were analyzed (male:female ratio = 8:1, mean age = 42.53 ± 11.31 years, mean body mass index (BMI) = 28.22 ± 5.23 kg/m2). Calcium oxalate (CaOx) was the most common stone type (87.7%), followed by uric acid (UA) stones (9.13%). CaOx was predominant across all ethnicities. Patients with CaOx stone were younger than patients with UA and other stone types. BMI was significantly higher in the UA group. UA stone formers were more likely to have hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and recurrent urolithiasis than CaOx patients. Multinomial logistic regression identified UA stones as significantly associated with older East Asians, higher BMI, recurrent stone formation, and lower baseline glomerular filtration rate compared to CaOx. Conclusion CaOx was the most prevalent stone type, whereas UA stones were more commonly observed in patients with higher BMI, CKD, older age, and a history of recurrent urolithiasis. These differences highlight the importance of targeted prevention and personalized management strategies.

Long‐duration spaceflight is associated with an increased risk of urolithiasis, and the pain caused by urinary calculi could result in loss of human performance and mission objectives. The present study investigated the risk of urolithiasis in astronauts during 6 months on the International Space Station, and evaluated whether the suppression of bone resorption by the bisphosphonate, alendronate (ALN), can reduce the risk. A total of 17 astronauts were included into the analysis: exercise using the advanced resistive exercise device (ARED) plus weekly oral 70 mg alendronate (ARED+ALN group, n = 7) was compared to resistive exercise alone (ARED group, n = 10). Urine volume decreased in both groups during spaceflight but recovered after return. The ARED group showed increased urinary calcium excretion from the 15th to 30th day of spaceflight, whereas urinary calcium was slightly decreased in the ARED+ALN group. Urinary N‐terminal telopeptide (NTX) and helical peptide (HP) of type I collagen, as bone resorption markers, were elevated in the ARED group during and until 0 days after spaceflight, while there was no elevation in these parameters in the ARED+ALN group. Urinary oxalate and uric acid excretion tended to be higher in the ARED group than in the ARED+ALN group during spaceflight. These results demonstrate that astronauts on long‐duration spaceflights may be at high risk for the formation of urinary calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones through increased urinary excretion of oxalate and uric acid, from degraded type I collagen, as well as of calcium from enhanced bone resorption. Our findings suggest that increased bone resorption during spaceflight, as a risk factor for urinary calculus formation, could be effectively prevented by an inhibitor of bone resorption. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Although urolithiasis is considered to be strongly associated with lifestyle habits, there are numerous cases in which urolithiasis develops despite a non-obese body type or healthy lifestyle habits. However, in clinical practice, the diet therapy and lifestyle changes instructed for the prevention of recurrence of urolithiasis are almost identical in numerous cases. Therefore, the present study examined the effect of body mass index (BMI) on urolithiasis and its surrounding environment in patients, by analyzing the number of normal- and high-BMI (healthy and overweight) patients with urolithiasis. The present study analyzed 63 patients with urolithiasis for whom height and weight were measured at our hospital (Tokyo Medical University Ibaraki Medical Center). BMI <25 represents healthy body types and BMI ≥25 BMI defines overweight body types. Thus, patients were then grouped by BMI-defined body type using a threshold value of 25 accordingly. It was observed that a higher percentage of males were obese compared with females. Upon comparing the normal- and high-BMI groups, no significant difference was observed in uric acid level, urine pH or calculus number between the two groups. Liver computed tomography (CT) values were significantly lower in the high-BMI group compared with the normal-BMI group. There was no significant correlation between calculus size counts and BMI. However, a significant negative correlation was observed between BMI and the liver CT value. These results suggest that liver CT values correlated negatively with BMI, but the data indicates that other mechanisms unassociated with a fatty liver may be involved in urolithiasis in non-obese patients. The results of the present study suggest that physicians should consider the mechanism involved in preventing the recurrence of urolithiasis.

Few studies have examined the relative risk of recurrence of different stone types. The object of the present study was to evaluate the tendency for stone recurrence as a function of major mineral composition of the stones and morphological characteristics of the stones. This study was carried out using 38,274 stones for which we had data available to specify if the stone was from the first or a subsequent urinary stone episode. Stones were analyzed for morphology by stereomicroscope and for composition by infrared spectroscopy. Overall, 42.7% of stones were from patients who had had a previous stone event, with these being more frequent in men (44.4%) than in women (38.9%, p < 0.0001). Age of first stone occurrence was lowest for dihydroxyadenine (15.7 ± 16.6 years) and highest for anhydrous uric acid (62.5 ± 14.9 years), with the average age of first stones of calcium oxalate falling in the middle (40.7 ± 14.6 years for calcium oxalate dihydrate, and 48.4 ± 15.1 years for calcium oxalate monohydrate, COM). By composition alone, COM was among the least recurrent of stones, with only 38.0% of COM stones coming from patients who had had a previous episode; however, when the different morphological types of COM were considered, type Ic—which displays a light color, budding surface and unorganized section—had a significantly greater rate of recurrence, at 82.4% (p < 0.0001), than did other morphologies of COM. Similarly, for stones composed of apatite, morphological type IVa2—a unique form with cracks visible beneath a glossy surface—had a higher rate of recurrence than other apatite morphologies (78.8 vs. 39–42%, p < 0.0001). Stone mineral type alone is insufficient for identifying the potential of recurrence of the stones. Instead, the addition of stone morphology may allow the diagnosis of highly recurrent stones, even among common mineral types (e.g., COM) that in general are less recurrent.