Urinary Stone Disease and Nephrocalcinosis

A significant increase in the frequency of childhood urinary stone disease has been observed during the last two decades. A recent study observed an increase in the incidence of symptomatic kidney stones from 7.9 per 100, 000 children in 1996 to 18.5 per 100, 000 in 2007. The highest incidence was observed in females aged 14-17 years. These findings have been replicated by others. The reason for this increase is not clear though many hypotheses have been proposed. Most affected children have idiopathic calcium stone disease while monogenic disorders, sometimes associated with chronic kidney disease, likely account for approximately 10% of pediatric kidney stone cases. Both environmental and hereditary factors significantly contribute to the risk of stone formation. All children with urinary stone diseases deserve a meticulous risk factor evaluation which forms the basis for individualized and targeted treatment of the underlying disorders.