Urolith Advice and Facts
Spooky urolith centers
Top left image: Suture was identified in approximately 10% of recurrent stones. When closing the bladder after a cystotomy, minimize placing suture in the bladder lumen to reduce its contribution to stone recurrence.
Top right image: Plant awns/material are common in the western United States and sometimes enter the bladder and can become encrusted with mineral.
Bottom left image: Toothpick - a migrating toothpick could have been swallowed by the pet because it held a tasty Halloween treat. In this case, the toothpick pierced the intestine, traveled to the bladder and initiated stone formation.
Bottom right image: Fleas, louse, and other insects may climb up the urethra and become entombed in stones
Top right image: Plant awns/material are common in the western United States and sometimes enter the bladder and can become encrusted with mineral.
Bottom left image: Toothpick - a migrating toothpick could have been swallowed by the pet because it held a tasty Halloween treat. In this case, the toothpick pierced the intestine, traveled to the bladder and initiated stone formation.
Bottom right image: Fleas, louse, and other insects may climb up the urethra and become entombed in stones
This month we are focusing on the interesting, strange and scary things we have found in the center of uroliths.
What do all of these spooky invaders have in common?
Heterogeneous nucleation: the process where crystallization is enhanced by initiating over foreign-preformed surfaces.
What’s in the center of your uroliths?
For complete and accurate urolith analysis – please submit the entire urolith.