Epidemiology and etiopathogenesis of urinary calculi in western Nepal (Pokhara).

Urinary stone disease is recorded in the literature from the dawn of the history and has spared no segment of society irrespective of age, gender, occupation and socio-economic status. It is still termed as "Refractory Disease" as complete medical management to prevent occurrence or recurrence is not so far available. We conducted a preliminary survey from the Manipal Teaching Hospital and carried out urinalyses to ascertain risk factors in the local population. This preliminary survey indicates the prevalence of stone disease is in moderate zone. Hyperoxaluria is an important risk factor in more than one fourth of the stone formers; and hypernatriuria is distinctly most common potentiating risk factor.