Analysis of urinary stone types’ distribution in Turkey according to the geographical regions where patients were born and live: A cross-sectional single-center experience

Urolithiasis is one of the most common urologic pathology that affects the urinary tract with a high prevalence rate between 2% and 20% (1,2). The prevalence and incidence are increasing in different parts of the world for both men and women (3). The higher incidence and prevalence rates were found to be related to dietary habits, socioeconomic conditions, water consumption, water quality and hot climate (4). Metabolic disorders like overweight/obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, and hyperglycemia have a role in the recurrence of urolithiasis (5). In Turkey, urolithiasis is an endemic disease and has a high incidence rate (15%) and it is more common in the south and southeast parts of the country (3). Stones can be seen in any location of the urinary tract and the mechanism of its formation is still unknown (6). Clinical conditions and the treatment choices mainly depend on the size, location of stones, degree of obstruction and the chemical composition of the stone (7,8). Many factors were found to be related to the stone composition as the body weight, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, body mass index and renal function (1,9,10). In addition, it has been shown that stone composition is one of the most important factors which is associated with the recurrence of stone disease (11). DOI: 10.4274/gulhane.galenos.2020.978 ORIGINAL ARTICLE