Publication Details
Abstract
Background: Different age groups exhibit unique epidemiological and composition patterns of bladder urolithiasis. Specifically, adults are more likely to have calcium-containing bladder stones. In contrast, children will usually have bladder stones made up of either uric acid or due to infection in children, especially in developing countries. There is currently no literature comparing bladder stone composition between pediatric and older adults living in Iraq.
Purpose: To evaluate and compare the incidence and biochemical composition of urinary bladder stones from elderly (greater than or equal to 40 years) vs. pediatric patients (less than or equal to 12 years) at a tertiary referral center located in Al-Muthanna City, Iraq,
Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from March 2019 to April 2025 at Al-Hussein Teaching Hospital. Five hundred forty-two bladder stone specimens were obtained surgically, by endoscopic cystolitholapaxy and/or spontaneously, and analyzed with FTIR. The patients were divided into pediatric (< or equal to 12 years) and elderly (> or equal to 40 years). The chi-squared test was used for comparison.
Results: Of 542 patients, 512 (94.5%) were elderly, and 30 (5.5%) were pediatric. The mean age of those patients was 56.2 ± 16.4 years. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Elderly patients had significantly more calcium oxalate stones (35.5% vs 0.0%, p < 0.001), while uric acid stones were most common in children (40.0% vs 0.4%, p < 0.001). The phosphate stone and mixed stone populations did not differ significantly.
Conclusion: Calcium oxalate accounted for the majority of bladder stones among elderly patients, while uric acid was the most common stone type in the pediatric subgroup. The results highlight the need for age-specific metabolic assessments and region-specific preventive programs for bladder urolithiasis.