|
|
 |
|
KIDNEY STONES - DIAGNOSIS
|
It’s unlikely that you'll experience symptoms or see signs of having developed a kidney stone unless the kidney stone is large enough to cause a blockage, is passing or is responsible for a urinary tract infection.
 | | If you’ve developed a kidney stone (renal lithiasis) that’s large enough to fall into the latter category, you may find yourself suffering from a sudden onset of a severe cramping pain in your lower back—below the edge of your ribcage, your groin, side, or abdomen. This pain is often so severe that it is not unheard of for it to be accompanied by nausea or vomiting and be further characterized by the fact that changing your body position will fail to relieve it. All four types of kidney stones (calcium, struvite, uric acid and cystine) may also cause blood to appear in your urine. If a urinary tract infection develops as a result of a stone, you may also experience a fever and chills. |
However, any number of medical conditions other than kidney stones can cause symptoms similar to those listed above. So, your doctor or urologist will need to ask you a few questions to determine the precise nature of your pain and get a picture of your lifestyle. Your doctor will also need to perform a physical exam and may order X-rays or other imaging tests to get a better look at your kidneys or urinary tract.
If it turns out that you’ve developed more than one kidney stone or if you have a family history of kidney stones, additional testing may be called for. To find out which type of kidney stone you’ve developed--calcium, struvite, cystine, etc., your doctor may order blood tests and or ask that you collect your urine for a 24-hour period. Both tests will help your doctor determine the chance you’ll develop stones in the future.
Blood Tests, Urine Tests and Medical Imaging Techniques Will Help Diagnose Kidney Stones
In addition to a full medical history, your doctor or urologist will begin the diagnostic process with a simple physical examination, (of the abdominal area – looking for the soreness that may indicate a kidney stone’s presence) and then move on to medical imaging techniques (intravenous pyelogram, ultrasound, X-rays, computed tomography) to determine the location and nature of the kidney stone and rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.
Your doctor or urologist will also assess your general kidney function and evaluate the concentration of certain electrolytes and dissolved substances in your blood. A thorough urinalysis may also be performed.
Imaging tests will also help determine whether or not the stone is obstructing your urinary tract. Blood and Urine tests will help establish the substance (struvite, calcium, cystine or uric acid) that the stone has developed from so that an appropriate treatment can be delivered and appropriate preventive measures (change of diet, medication, etc.) taken. If this is your first stone, your physician may delay a detailed diagnostic evaluation until the stone grows in size. If it isn’t the first time you’ve developed a stone, urine and blood tests may be used to determine whether or not the recurrence is the result of a metabolic anomaly.
Remember, The Signs or Symptoms That You’ve Developed a Kidney Stone May Include:
- You can never quite make yourself comfortable – whether you’re standing, sitting or reclining.
- Pain that starts to the side of the back near your waist and moves toward the groin.
- Unexplained muscle contractions in the wall of your ureter.
- Nausea and vomiting may.
- Blood in the urine.
- Feeling a burning sensation during urination or the need to urinate more often than usual.
- Fever or chills that accompany any of the symptoms above.
- Pain that tends to begin suddenly – on one side then continues as concentrated, constant pain or a pain that persists for a few minutes at a time, resolves, and then returns after around ten minutes or so.
Remember, Your Doctor May Employ the Following Techniques to Diagnose Kidney Stones:
- Blood Tests - that identify the presence/concentration of chemicals related to kidney stones.
- Urine Analysis (Urinalysis) - to check for signs of urinary tract infection.
- X-Rays – to look for stones that contain calcium.
- IVU (Intravenous Urogram) - dye test that reveals stones that can't be seen in X-ray images.
- Ultrasound Scan - to produce detailed images of your urinary tract.
- Non-Contrast Helical Computerized Tomography (CT) – test that produces images from a series of X-rays taken at various angles. It is generally considered the most accurate test used to diagnose kidney stones.
Generally a diagnosis can be made easily due to the specific nature of the symptoms, but it’s not always that clear. Simple urinary tract infections can result in similar, but typically less severe, pain. And in fact, infection can be caused by the presence of a kidney stone. Gallstones, blockage in the intestine, diverticulitis, blood clots, acute appendicitis, irritable bowel syndrome, stomach ulcers, pancreatitis, hepatitis, hiatal hernia, pelvic inflammatory disease (but only in women), and inflammatory bowel disease can cause pain that mimics kidney stones.
You can learn more kidney stones, how they can be , or here.
|
|
|
 |
Nabet G.Kasabian MD, FACS
103 East 80th Street (at Park Avenue)
New York, NY 10075
Tel: 212-535-0755
Fax: 212-744-4539
|
 |
|
|
|
|
