Stone, kidney
A stone in the kidney or a stone that originates in the kidney but has passed lower down in the urinary tract. Kidney stones are a common cause of blood in the urine and pain in the abdomen, flank, or groin. The development of kidney stones is related to decreased urine volume or to increased excretion of stone-forming components, such as calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate. The stones form in the urine-collecting area (pelvis) of the kidney and may range in size from tiny to ‘staghorn’ stones the size of the renal pelvis itself. Factors that predispose people to kidney stones include reduction in fluid intake, increased exercise with dehydration, medications that cause high uric acid (hyperuricemia), and a history of gout. Pain from kidney stones is usually of sudden onset, very severe and intermittent, and not improved by changes in position, and it radiates from the back, down the flank, and into the groin. Nausea and vomiting are common. The majority of stones pass spontaneously within 48 hours. However, some stones do not. Several factors influence the ability to pass a stone, including the size of the person, prior stone passage, prostate enlargement, pregnancy, and the size of the stone. If a stone does not pass, the help of a urology specialist may be needed. Routine treatment includes relief of pain, hydration, and, if there is concurrent urinary infection, administration of antibiotics. Also known as nephrolithiasis.
Read Also:
- Stone, renal
calculi) is the Latin word for pebble.
- Stone, tonsil
A tiny stone (calculus) in the tonsils. These stones, called tonsilloliths, are found within little pockets (crypts) in the tonsils that typically form in chronic recurrent tonsillitis and harbor bacteria. The stones are foul-smelling. They tend to contain high quantities of sulfa. When crushed, they give off the characteristic rotten egg smell which is well […]
- Squamous intraepithelial lesion
A general term for the abnormal growth of squamous cells on the surface of the cervix. The changes in the cells are described as low grade or high grade, depending on how much of the cervix is affected and how abnormal the cells are. Also called SIL.
- Squamous cells
Flat cells that look like fish scales. The word “squamous” came from the Latin squama meaning “the scale of a fish or serpent.” We have a lot of squamous cells. They make up most of the cells in the outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts, and […]
-
The upper or outer layer of the two main layers of cells that make up the skin. The epidermis is mostly made up of flat, scale-like cells called squamous cells. Under the squamous cells are round cells called basal cells. The deepest part of the epidermis also contains melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, which gives […]