Skip to main content

Dissolution of Uric Acid Stones

  • Chapter
Urolithiasis

Abstract

A great revolution has taken place in the treatment of urolithiasis in the last few years. Percutaneous lithotripsy, which is minimally invasive, and extracorporeal lithotripsy, which is non-invasive, have made the removal of urinary stones much less morbid than the older, open techniques. Not all stones that need to be removed must be removed surgically. Chemolysis of cystine, struvite, and, particularly, uric acid stones is possible. Dissolving stones by an oral program on an outpatient basis would certainly seem more cost-effective than surgical removal. We undertook a prospective study to examine the effectiveness and safety of dissolving uric acid stones. It has long been known that uric acid stones can be dissolved by oral therapy (1–7). However, these reports tend to be retrospective studies of a few cases, and little can be said about the effectiveness and safety of an oral dissolution program. We present our experience with 21 patients who had relatively lucent, minimally obstructive stones.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 259.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 329.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. M Neto, B Pilloff, and JA Simon, Dissolution of renal uric acid calculus with allopurinol and alkalinization of urine: a case report, J. Urol. 115:740 (1976).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. SZ Freed, The alternating use of an alkalinizing salt and acetazolamide in the management of cystine and uric stones, J. Urol. 113:96 (1975).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. PH Petritsch, Uric acid calculi: results of conservative treatment, Urology 10:536 (1977).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. JT Harbaugh, Dissolution of renal calculus with allopurinol: a case report, J. Urol. 100:412 (1968).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. S Alexander and H Brendler, Treatment of uric acid urolithiasis with allopurinol: a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, J. Urol. 97:340 (1967).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. AA Billings, GL Kandel, and CM Shapiro, Allopurinol therapy for renal uric acid calculi, JAMA 210:2093 (1969).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. R Wasko and BA Frankenfield, Allopurinol dissolution of renal uric acid calculi, JAMA 205:801 (1968).

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. B Finlayson and A Smith, Stability of first dissociable proton of uric acid, J. Chem. En. D. 19:94 (1974).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. HD Mitcheson, RG Zamenhof, MS Bankoff, and EL Prien, Determination of the chemical composition of urinary calculi by computerized tomography, J. Urol. 130:814 (1983).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. MI Resnick, ED Kursh, and AM Cohen, Use of computerized tomography in the delineation of uric acid calculi, J. Urol. 131:9 (1984).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. JE Lingeman, D Newman, JHO Mertz, PG Mosbaugh, RE Steele, RJ Kahnoski, TA Coury, and JR Woods, Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: the Methodist Hospital of Indiana experience, J. Urol. 135:1134 (1986).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. GW Drach, S Dretler, W Fair, B Finlayson, J Gillenwater, D Griffith, J Lingeman, and D Newman, Report of the United States cooperative study of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, J. Urol. 135:1127 (1986).

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1989 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Erickson, S.B., Wilson, D.M., Smith, L.H. (1989). Dissolution of Uric Acid Stones. In: Walker, V.R., Sutton, R.A.L., Cameron, E.C.B., Pak, C.Y.C., Robertson, W.G. (eds) Urolithiasis. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0873-5_260

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0873-5_260

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4899-0875-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-0873-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics