Kidney Stone Analysis
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Kidney stones are small, pebble-like pieces of material that form in one or both of your kidneys. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs just below your rib cage. They keep your body's balance of water, minerals, and salts by removing waste to make urine (pee).
Kidney stones form when you have high levels of some minerals or salts in your urine (pee). Many things may increase your risk of kidney stones. These can include your diet, some health conditions, and some supplements or medicines.
A kidney stone analysis is a test to find out what a kidney stone is made of. This information helps your health care provider develop a plan to help you lower your risk of forming more stones in the future. There are four main types of kidney stones: Calcium is the most common type of stone.; Uric acid is another common type of stone.; Cystine is an uncommon type of stone.
It is caused by cystinuria, a kidney disease that you inherit from your parents.; Struvite is the most uncommon type of stone. It usually forms after a urinary tract infection (UTI).; Kidney stones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pea, and sometimes even larger. Very small stones may pass out of your body when you urinate (pee).
Larger or odd-shaped stones can get stuck inside your urinary tract and block the flow of urine. This may cause severe pain or bleeding, and you may need treatment to get rid of the stones. But with treatment, kidney stones usually don't cause lasting damage.
Why this test is done
You may need a kidney stone analysis if you have symptoms that could be from a kidney stone. These include:
- Sharp pain in your abdomen (belly), side, groin, or back
- Blood in your urine (pee)
- Frequent need to urinate
- Not being able to urinate at all or only urinating a little bit
- Pain when urinating
- Cloudy or bad-smelling urine
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills
How to prepare
You don't need any special preparations for a kidney stone analysis.
Other names for this test
urinary stone analysis, renal calculus analysis
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Educational content only. This entry describes what a test measures and how published reference ranges are defined. It is not a diagnosis, does not interpret your personal results, and is not a substitute for a qualified doctor.