What is a kidney stone analysis?
Kidney stones are small, pebble-like substances made from chemicals in your urine. They are formed in the kidneys when high levels of certain substances, such as minerals or salts, get into the urine. A kidney stone analysis is a test that figures out what a kidney stone is made of. There are four main types of kidney stones:
Calcium, the most common type of kidney stone
Uric acid, another common type of kidney stone
Struvite, a less common stone that is caused by urinary tract infections
Cystine, a rare type of stone that tends to run in families
Kidney stones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. Many stones pass through your body when you urinate. Larger or odd-shaped stones can get stuck inside the urinary tract and may need treatment. While kidney stones rarely cause serious damage, they can be very painful.
If you've had a kidney stone in the past, you are likely to get another one. A kidney stone analysis provides information on what a stone is made of. This can help your health care provider develop a treatment plan to reduce your risk of forming more stones.
Other names: urinary stone analysis, renal calculus analysis
