Renal calculi are much less in children than in adults, and high urinary concentrations of calcium, uric acid, urine pH and a low volume of urine are known to be risk factors. To better understand the urinary risk factors of forming stones in school children, a quantitative study of urinary biochemical constituents was performed. Except for a concentration of calcium in spot morning urine, the calcium concentrations of 8-hour urines and 24-hour urines were much higher in the age group 16 to 18 years than in other age groups (P<0.001), the urinary concentrations of uric acid, sodium, osmolarlity and urine pH in age group of 16 to 18 years were also significantly higher than those of other age groups (P<0.05). The results shown are quite compatible with increasing renal stone formation beginning at age 17, as analyzed on 9,936 stone formers treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital in the past 30 years. This study seems to indicate that the ages of 16 to 18 years may be the physiological risk period for urinary stone formation. As to the role of concentrations of urinary inhibitors (citrate, mucopolysaccharide, pyrophosphate etc) in school children, especially in the age group of 16 to 18 years, further investigation is needed.
Renal calculi are much less in children than in adults, and high urinary concentrations of calcium, uric acid, urine pH and a low volume of urine are known to be risk factors. To better understand the urinary risk factors of forming stones in school children, a quantitative study of urinary biochemical constituents was performed. Except for a concentration of calcium in spot morning urine, the calcium concentrations of 8-hour urines and 24-hour urines were much higher in the age group 16 to 18 years than in other age groups (P<0.001), the urinary concentrations of uric acid, sodium, osmolarlity and urine pH in age group of 16 to 18 years were also significantly higher than those of other age groups (P<0.05). The results shown are quite compatible with increasing renal stone formation beginning at age 17, as analyzed on 9,936 stone formers treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital in the past 30 years. This study seems to indicate that the ages of 16 to 18 years may be the physiological risk period for urinary stone formation. As to the role of concentrations of urinary inhibitors (citrate, mucopolysaccharide, pyrophosphate etc) in school children, especially in the age group of 16 to 18 years, further investigation is needed.