Kidney stones or renal calculi (from Latin ren, renes, "kidney" and calculi, "pebbles") are solid concretions or calculi (crystal aggregations) formed in the kidneys from dissolved urinary minerals. Nephrolithiasis (from Greek nephros, "kidney" and λιθoς (lithos, "stone")) refers to the condition of having kidney stones. Urolithiasis refers to the condition of having calculi in the urinary tract (which also includes the kidneys), which may form o...
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Kidney stones or renal calculi (from Latin ren, renes, "kidney" and calculi, "pebbles") are solid concretions or calculi (crystal aggregations) formed in the kidneys from dissolved urinary minerals. Nephrolithiasis (from Greek nephros, "kidney" and λιθoς (lithos, "stone")) refers to the condition of having kidney stones. Urolithiasis refers to the condition of having calculi in the urinary tract (which also includes the kidneys), which may form or pass into the urinary bladder. Ureterolithiasis is the condition of having a calculus in the ureter, the tube connecting the kidneys and the bladder. The term bladder stones usually applies to urolithiasis of the bladder in non-human animals such as dogs and cats.
Kidney stones typically leave the body by passage in the urine stream, and many stones are formed and passed without causing symptoms. If stones grow to sufficient size before passage—on the order of at least 2-3 millimeters—they can cause obstruction of the ureter. The resulting...
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