Arif Pervez Rajput, Saadat Khan, Masha Khan, Din S, Haq Nawaz.
Present trend of urolithiasis in Balochistan: A single center experience.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;12(10):618-22.

Objective: To study the pattern and management of urolithiasis in the Balochistan province of Pakistan. Design: A single institution based retrospective observational study. Place and Duration of Study: This study was carried out at Sandeman (Prov) Hospital/Bolan Medical College, Quetta, covering a period of seven years. Subjects and Methods: A data of 1670 consecutive patients of urolithiasis was evaluated, who were entertained between 1994-2001. Informations regarding the occurrences of stones, age, sex, anatomical distribution, stone analysis, type of procedures, etiological factors and stones in special circumstances with baseline characteristics of stone patients were collected. Metabolic studies were also performed. Results: Among these patients, 998 (59.00%) patients were admitted for minimal invasive and open surgical interventions, which constituted 39.14% of the urological workload. Remaining 595 (35.0%) patients were treated conservatively and 77 patients (4.0%) were referred for lithotripsy and lithoclast. Common symptoms observed were renal, colic hematuria frequency and dysuria. Male to female ratio was estimated as 4:1 with peak age 21-40 years. Majority (65.0%) belonged to poor socioeconomic status and 44.40% of patients came from interior Balochistan, Sindh and Afghanistan with family history of stones in 25.0%. Occupational exposure to chronic dehydration was the major risk factor. Bladder calculi constituted 57.42% of all stone patients. Mild hyperoxaluria was found in 65.30% cases with idiopathic calcium oxalate stones. Many patients (70.0%) were also treated by Hakims and Homeopaths. Conclusion: Urolithiasis was fairly a common problem in Balochistan. Idiopathic calcium oxalate stone disease was dominant. Chronic dehydration, unbalanced diet and urinary tract infections were the causative factors.

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