In urolithiasis patients treated with extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL), because of the passed stone fragments were often minute and urine specimmen collection was frequently troublesome, so the rate of stone analysis are relatively low. In order to overcome this embarrassing condition, a prospective study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on urine sediment to analyze urianry stone composition. Three timed urine specimens were collected, i.e., the urine in the morning befroe ESWL. We also compared the stone composition analyzed simutaneously by SEM and infrared spectrophotometer in 10 patients. Our results showed that both stone occurrence rate and diagnosis rate were highest in the ruine specimen available from the next morning after WSWL, which were 76% and 50%, respectively. Furthermore, the stone diagnosis rate could be even higher (70%) if we combined the findings of urine specimen immediately after ESWL. In conclusion, direct observation of urine sediment by scanning electron microscopy to analyze stone is an easy, cconvenient and accurate method, patient usually can get stone analysis result befor discharge from hospital.