Kidney Stone Types WisdomCard

Our Guides and Physician Review team have organized the Top 10 Health Resources on Kidney Stone Types and compiled helpful research notes below.


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Research Notes on Kidney Stone Types


Kidney stones form out of substances in the urine into solid pieces of material. The stone may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. 1 The chemical composition is what differentiates the classification of each of the four familial types of kidney stones. 2

Fast Facts:

  • Calcium oxalate stones: account for 75% of all kidney stones; more common in men than women; form with increased levels of calcium in the urine. 2
  • Struvite stones: account for 10 to 15% of all kidney stones; related to urinary tract infection (UTI's); less common now UTI's are better diagnosed. 2
  • Uric acid stones: account for 5 to 8% of all kidney stones; more common in men than women; caused by increased uric acid; associated with gout. 2
  • Cystine stones: account for less than 1% of all kidney stones (rare); caused by an inherited genetic defect called cystinuria. 2
  • Drug stone is a fifth type that is caused by medication such as indinavir and triamterene. 3

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Research Notes References

  1. eMedTV: Types Of Kidney Stones
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Harvard Medical School (via Aetna InteliHealth): Kidney Stones - What Is It?
  3. About.com: What Are The Different Types Of Kidney Stones?

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