[Analysis of urinary calculi in adults from the Moroccan Medium Atlas by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry].

OBJECTIVE To determine the stone composition in adult patients from the medium Atlas of Morocco. MATERIAL AND METHODS A series of 183 calculi from adult patients (males: 123, females: 60) collected in medium Atlas of Morocco was analysed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. The stones were surgically removed (n = 168) or spontaneously passed (n = 15). RESULTS Kidney stones are encountered in 70.5% of calculi. The stones were twice frequent in males than in females (M/F = 2.10). Whewellite was the main component in 51.4% of the stones and 49.7% of the stone core, weddellite in only 7.1% of stones and 6.4% of the nuclei. Uric acid was predominant in 18% of stones and also 19.7% of nuclei, and carbapatite in 12.6% of stones and nuclei. All in all, whewellite was present in 77.6% of calculi and weddellite in 25.1%, carbapatite in 68.3% and PACC in 23.5%, struvite in 15.3%, uric acid in 20.8% and ammonium hydrogen urate in 14.2% of cases. Struvite stones were more frequent in females and uric acid calculi in males, in particular in patients aged more than 60 years old. CONCLUSION As observed in most countries, calcium oxalate was the most frequent major component of the stones (58.5%). Uric acid stones were more frequent (18%) than reported in Western countries, thus suggesting that particular dietary habits are involved in stone formation. The relatively high occurrence of struvite stones (8%) could be a marker of an insufficient early detection and treatment of chronic urinary tract infection.