Mineralogical composition of urinary calculi from southern India

Abstract

Incidence of urinary calculi and its composition have been showing a remarkable global variation with profound changes in living standards and dietary habits. Indian urinary stone composition is usually different from that of the western countries. Urinary calculi in northern India were composed of pure calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and pure calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) and in Bihar were of mixed type. Urinary calculi from southern India was analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, FT-Raman, Thermo Gravimetric Analyses (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Majority of the stones were pure or calcium phosphate mixed calcium oxalate stones. Uric acid calculi and infection stone were less. SEM observation had shown regularly arranged platy COD crystals, orderly arranged spherulitic hydroxyapatite (HAP) crystals in nucleus and COD bipyramidal crystals radiating from a central point. A comprehensive clinical data of the patients is also provided.