Kidney stones

What are kidney stones?

Urine contains waste substances that are removed during urination. If waste substances are not dissolved completely in the urine, stones may develop in the renal pelvis. They are known as kidney stones (or urinary calculi). These may be located in the kidneys, ureters, bladder or urethra.

What are the complaints associated with kidney stones? ⁴⁰⁶

Small kidney stones may be evacuated in the urine without being noticed. However, if a slightly larger stone enters the ureter from the renal pelvis, it may get stuck, causing pain in the side or abdomen. The ureter will work the stone further towards the bladder, resulting in repeated severe pain in the side or abdomen. The pain comes in waves (colic pain). When the ureter stops 'squeezing', the pain subsides for a while.

During a wave of pain, it is impossible to sit still or lie still. There may be nausea and vomiting. Because the kidney stone moves slowly towards the bladder, the pain will gradually also move to the side of the abdomen or the lower abdomen. The stone will usually enter the bladder after a few days and the symptoms will then almost always disappear. The stone will be evacuated in the urine a few days later but sometimes only after a few weeks. Because the urethra is wider than the ureter, this will not usually result in pain. There will sometimes be a little blood in the urine.

How common are kidney stones in the general population?

The annual incidence of kidney stones in general practice is approximately 0.3%. Children and adolescents rarely have kidney stones but incidence increases starting in adulthood; kidney stones are approximately twice as common in men as in women. The one-year prevalence of kidney stones is estimated at 0.8%. The probability of kidney stones is 2 to 3 times as high in people with an immediate family member with a history of kidney stones. Half of these patients will suffer a second attack within 7 to 8 years after the first attack. There are no known predictive factors for recurrence (in other words, a second or subsequent attack). ⁴⁰⁶

How common are kidney stones in people with intellectual disabilities?

It is not known how common kidney stones are in people with intellectual disabilities.

However, people with Lesch-Nyhan syndrome ⁴⁰⁷ and Williams syndrome  ⁴⁰⁸ are already more likely to have kidney stones at an early age.
0.80% General population Not known for people with intellectual disabilities