Urinary Tract Stones (Urolithiasis)
Stones are heavy masses that form in the urinary tract and cause pain, bleeding or an infection or blockage of urine flow.
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Tiny stones may cause no symptoms, but larger stones can cause excruciating pain in the area between the ribs and hips in the back.
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Usually, an imaging test and an analysis of urine are done to diagnose stones.
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Sometimes stone formation can be prevented by changing the diet or increasing fluid intake.
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Stones that do not pass on their own are removed with lithotripsy or an endoscopic technique.
Stones in the urinary tract form in a kidney and grow into a ureter or bladder. The formation of stones is called urolithiasis, kidney lithiasis or nephrolithiasis, and the place where the stones are located has a specific name: ureteral stone or bladder stone.
