Affiliations: Laboratory of Environmental and Medical Geology,
IMAA-CNR, Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy | Department of Chemistry, Basilicata University,
Potenza, Italy | Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse c/o Dipartimento
di Geoscienze, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
Note: [] Corresponding author: Maria Luigia Giannossi, Laboratory of
Environmental and Medical Geology, IMAA-CNR, Tito Scalo (PZ), Italy. Tel.: +39
0971 427247; Fax: +39 0971 427 222; E-mail: giannossi@imaa.cnr.it
Abstract: Kidney stones are a very frequent finding in southern Italy, but
stone analysis is not routinely performed. However, it is an important
requirement not only for a successful treatment of this disease, but also for
the prophylaxis to prevent any recurrence. We therefore set out to analyze 80 kidney stones collected from
Basilicata Region (Southern, Italy). X-ray powder diffraction as well as
optical and scanning electron microscopy and petrographic thin section analysis
have been applied in order to determine the mineralogical and morphological
compositions. The internal structure and the relation between major and minor
components have facilitated the classification of the kidney stones according
to a detailed scheme. As it is known from other country, calcium oxalate stones were the
most frequent (59%) [39% mainly composed of whewellite,
CaC_2O_4*H_2O and 29%
is mainly made of weddellite,
CaC_2O_4*2H_2O]. Uric
acid stones were abundant too (18%). Calcium phosphate and cystine stone were
less. The results of the observations of kidney stones in thin
petrographic sections led to the identification of more cores in the same
whewellite kidney stones. In some kidney stones the core is not situated in the
central zone, which represents the point of attachment on kidney wall. Basilicata kidney stone prevalence is different from the average
prevalence determined in other Mediterranean areas. The comparison showed that
calcium oxalate stones seem to be more frequent, and there is a high prevalence
of uric acid kidney stones and a lower prevalence of phosphate kidney stones,
especially hydroxyapatite. The relative increase frequency of uric acid stones in the northern
part of the Region may be due to high-purine diets and softness water
consumption.
Keywords: Kidney stone, mineralogical composition, type of stones, medical geology, geographical distribution
