What is Urolithiasis – bladder stones?
Symptoms and Diagnosis | Treatment | Prognosis | Dictionary of Terms Definition: Urolithiasis is by definition the formation of stones in the bladder. Bladder stones are sometimes called uroliths or calculi. Stones form in the bladder after crystalluria has occurred. If you have questions on crystalluria please consult our handout entitled crystalluria. There are many types of stones. The two most common are struvite and calcium oxalate. Because there are so many types of stones, we will concentrate on these two most common types. Why do they form? Stone formation is due to many reasons: • Struvite stones which commonly form in an acid pH of urine, ocurr when magnesium and phosphate ratios are out of balance, when the pH is too high, and bacteria are present. The more concentrated the urine, the higher the crystal count. These minerals become supersaturated, and precipitate out into stones. Crystals lead to stone formation. In the case of calcium oxalate crystals, hypercalcuria (high u
