STUDIES ON TRACE ELEMENT IN URINARY TRACT STONES

I. Trace Element Analysis in Urinary Tract Stones

Abstract

131 urinary tract stones composed of calcium oxalate, apatite, a mixture of the two, struvite, uric acid or cystine were analyzed for 18 trace metals by means of inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. A large number of trace metals have been found in all the urinary tract stones except those composed of cystine, in which significantly fewer elements are found in less quantity. The trace element assemblages are identical with the oxalates (whewellite & weddellite); apatite and struvite are also generally similar, but with notable exceptions. High concentrations and high relative frequency rates of occurrence of molybdenum, strontium and zinc are found in all those stones.