Turn on more accessible mode

Turn off more accessible mode

Skip Ribbon Commands

Skip to main content

Turn off Animations

Turn on Animations

Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones - Diagnosis

Several tests will be performed when you seek a urologic specialist.

Imaging:

The gold standard investigation is a computerised tomography (CT) scan, which is highly sensitive and able to detect even small stones.

X-Rays of Kidneys and Bladder: These are commonly performed as a quick screening test especially in the emergency department but might miss small kidney stones.
Ultrasound: A simple non-invasive test that can also be performed quickly to evaluate for kidney stones or obstruction in the urinary system.
Intravenous urogram (IVU) or computerised tomography (CT) scan: These imaging techniques used to detect kidney stones by visualizing the urinary tract and identifying the presence and location of stones within the kidneys and urinary system.

Additional urine and blood tests may be needed to exclude infection and impairment of kidney function.

You may be asked to collect urine for 24 hours to measure urine volume and the levels of chemicals in the urine. Your doctor will also ask about your medical history, occupation, and eating habits.

Urine tests:

Urinalysis: Red blood cells in the urine might be caused by presence of a stone. Urinary nitrites might also suggest presence of infection. The pH of urine might suggest the underlying stone that is present (acidic urine for uric acid stones, alkaline urine for struvite stones).

Urine cultures: Urine is taken and cultured over a period of time to determine presence of bacteria in the urine.

Blood tests:

Metabolic workup: To evaluate if certain salts and minerals are raised within the blood, including calcium, phosphate and uric acid.

Creatinine: To evaluate renal function which can be compromised by presence of a kidney stone.

Kidney Stones - Preparing for surgery

Kidney Stones - Post-surgery care

Kidney Stones - Other Information

Article contributed by Urology, Singapore General Hospital; Department of Urology, Sengkang General Hospital

The information provided is not intended as medical advice. Terms of use. Information provided by SingHealth

SingHealth

TOP

[{"SHPageId":"573","BodyPart":"#Groin#","BodyPartLst":["groin"],"Institution":null,"SHDoctorConditionsTreatments":"#Kidney Stones#","SHDoctorConditionsTreatmentsLst":["kidney stones"],"SHDoctorAwards":null,"SHDoctorAwardsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesgDisp":"Senior Consultant","SHDoctorClinicalDesgInstText":"48d80a29-eabe-421e-aa61-202648168f9e|2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce;Senior Consultant|2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce;","ListSHDoctorClinicalDesgInst":[{"ClinicalDesgName":"Senior Consultant","ClinicalDesgId":"48d80a29-eabe-421e-aa61-202648168f9e","ClinicalDesgInst":"Sengkang General Hospital","ClinicalDesgInstId":"2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce"}],"ListSHDoctorClinicalDesg":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesgInstFirst":"Senior Consultant","SHDoctorAltDesgDisp":"","SHDoctorEducation":null,"SHDoctorEducationFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorProfile":null,"SHDoctorProfileFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorResearchInterests":"","SHDoctorResearchInterestsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorResearchTrials":null,"SHDoctorResearchTrialsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorProfAppointments":null,"SHDoctorProfAppointmentsFullHtml":"\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size\u0026#58;13px;\"\u003eClinical Faculty Member,\u0026#160;\u003cspan style=\"font-size\u0026#58;13px;\"\u003eNUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medic\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size\u0026#58;13px;\"\u003eine\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSingapore Medical Council (SMC) \u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eUrology, Specialist Accreditation Board\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eFellow of the Royal College of Surgeons - Urology (Glasgow)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eFellow, Academy of Medicine - Urology (Singapore)\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e","SHDoctorPublications":null,"SHDoctorPublicationsFullHtml":null,"SHQualification":null,"SHQualificationFullHTML":"MBBS (Eng), MRCS (Eng), FAMS (Urol), FRCS (Glasg) ","SHDoctorThumbnailPhotoRender":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/sundaram-palaniappan-portrait.jpg","SHDoctorThumbnailPhoto":{"ImageUrl":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/thumbnail-photos/sundaram-palaniappan-thumbnail.jpg","Hyperlink":"","OpenHyperlinkInNewWindow":false,"Alignment":"","AlternateText":"Dr Palaniappan Sundaram from Sengkang General Hospital","BorderWidth":0,"Height":0,"HorizontalSpacing":0,"VerticalSpacing":0,"Width":0},"SHDoctorThumbnailPhotoUrl":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/thumbnail-photos/sundaram-palaniappan-thumbnail.jpg","Description":"Dr Palaniappan Sundaram from Sengkang General Hospital"},"SHDoctorPortraitPhoto":{"ImageUrl":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/sundaram-palaniappan-portrait.jpg","Hyperlink":"","OpenHyperlinkInNewWindow":false,"Alignment":"","AlternateText":"Dr Palaniappan Sundaram from Sengkang General Hospital","BorderWidth":0,"Height":0,"HorizontalSpacing":0,"VerticalSpacing":0,"Width":0},"SHDoctorPortraitPhotoUrl":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/sundaram-palaniappan-portrait.jpg","Description":"Dr Palaniappan Sundaram from Sengkang General Hospital"},"Email":"","SHDoctorRole":"Doctor;#","SHDoctorSalutation":"Asst Prof","SHDoctorFirstName":"Palaniappan","SHDoctorLastName":"Sundaram","SHDoctorOtherName":"Palaniappan Sundaram","SHDoctorHideProfile":false,"SHDoctorPrimarySpecialty":"General Surgery","SHDepartmentLink":null,"SHSpecialtyLink":null,"SHSubSpecialtyLink":null,"ListDoctorAcademic":null,"ListDoctorClinical":[{"SHDoctorClinAppPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorCorporateDesg":"","SHDoctorClinicalAltDesgText":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesg":"Senior Consultant","SHDoctorClinicalInst":"Sengkang General Hospital","SHDoctorClinicalInstLogo":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg","Description":"/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg"},"SHDoctorClinicalInstUrl":{"Url":"https://www.skh.com.sg/","Description":"https://www.skh.com.sg/"},"SHDoctorClinicalDept":"Department of Urology","SHDoctorClinicalDeptLogo":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDeptUrl":null,"SHDoctorClnicApptsFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram","SHDoctorClinicalDisplayOrder":2}],"ListDoctorSpecialty":[{"SHSpecialtyLink":"Urology","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":2,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram"},{"SHSpecialtyLink":"","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"Urinary Stone Disease","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":3,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram"},{"SHSpecialtyLink":"","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"Prostate Diseases","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":4,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram"},{"SHSpecialtyLink":"General Surgery","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":1,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram"}],"ListDoctorInstitution":[{"SHDepartmentLink":"#Department of Urology#","SHDepartmentLogoLink":null,"SHDepartmentUrlLink":null,"SHInstitutionLink":"#Sengkang General Hospital#","SHInstitutionLogoLink":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg","Description":"/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg"},"SHInstitutionUrlLink":{"Url":"http://www.sengkanghealth.com.sg/","Description":"http://www.sengkanghealth.com.sg/"},"SHInstLinkDisplayOrder":1,"SHDoctorInstPageItemId":"573","SHDoctorInstitutionFURL":"palaniappan-sundaram"}],"DoctorProfileInstitutionString":null,"DoctorProfileDepartmentString":null,"DoctorProfileSpecialtyString":null,"DoctorProfileSubSpecialtyString":null,"ListDoctorResearchAppointment":[],"DoctorResearchAppointmentItem":null,"StartDate":"\/Date(-62135596800000)\/","Path":"/profile/palaniappan-sundaram","LastUpdatedOn":"\/Date(-62135596800000)\/","LastUpdatedOnString":null,"SHDoctorAcademicProgLogo":null,"SHDoctorAcademicProgURL":null,"SHContentTagType":null,"SingHealthInstitution":"","SingHealthSpecialty":"","TypeOfContent":null,"DoctorFriendlyUrl":"palaniappan-sundaram","DoctorSpecialtyFriendlyUrl":null,"SHDoctorResearchEmail":null},{"SHPageId":"2972","BodyPart":"","BodyPartLst":[],"Institution":null,"SHDoctorConditionsTreatments":"#Male Infertility#, #Erectile Dysfunction#, #Kidney Stones#, #Urinary Stone Disease#, #Kidney Cancer#, #Bladder Cancer#, #Prostate Cancer#, #Testicular Cancer#, #Benign Prostatic Enlargement#, #Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)#, #Urinary Tract Infection#, #Circumcision#, #Adrenal Tumours#","SHDoctorConditionsTreatmentsLst":["male infertility","erectile dysfunction","kidney stones","urinary stone disease","kidney cancer","bladder cancer","prostate cancer","testicular cancer","benign prostatic enlargement","benign prostatic hyperplasia (bph)","urinary tract infection","circumcision","adrenal tumours"],"SHDoctorAwards":null,"SHDoctorAwardsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesgDisp":"Consultant","SHDoctorClinicalDesgInstText":"9b7b3341-8e0f-48aa-8d37-d46b0085d6c0|2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce;Consultant|2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce;","ListSHDoctorClinicalDesgInst":[{"ClinicalDesgName":"Consultant","ClinicalDesgId":"9b7b3341-8e0f-48aa-8d37-d46b0085d6c0","ClinicalDesgInst":"Sengkang General Hospital","ClinicalDesgInstId":"2db248c4-2112-4fcf-a07d-d2fdf93f21ce"}],"ListSHDoctorClinicalDesg":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesgInstFirst":"Consultant","SHDoctorAltDesgDisp":"","SHDoctorEducation":null,"SHDoctorEducationFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorProfile":null,"SHDoctorProfileFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorResearchInterests":"","SHDoctorResearchInterestsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorResearchTrials":null,"SHDoctorResearchTrialsFullHtml":null,"SHDoctorProfAppointments":null,"SHDoctorProfAppointmentsFullHtml":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cul\u003e\u003cli\u003eClinical Lecturer - NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eClinical Teacher - NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eAdjunct Research Fellow, Duke-NUS Medical School\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eFellow, Academy of Medicine Singapore\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eSingapore Medical Council (SMC)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eMember, Singapore Urological Association \u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eMember, European Association of Urology\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eMember, Royal College of Surgeons (Ireland)\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003eFellow, Royal College of Surgeons (Urology, Glasgow)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ul\u003e\u003c/div\u003e","SHDoctorPublications":null,"SHDoctorPublicationsFullHtml":null,"SHQualification":null,"SHQualificationFullHTML":"\u003cp\u003eMBBS (Malaya), MRCS (Ireland), FAMS (Urology), FRCS (Urology) (Glasgow)\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","SHDoctorThumbnailPhotoRender":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png","SHDoctorThumbnailPhoto":{"ImageUrl":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/thumbnail-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png","Hyperlink":"","OpenHyperlinkInNewWindow":false,"Alignment":"","AlternateText":"","BorderWidth":0,"Height":0,"HorizontalSpacing":0,"VerticalSpacing":0,"Width":0},"SHDoctorThumbnailPhotoUrl":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/thumbnail-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png","Description":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/thumbnail-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png"},"SHDoctorPortraitPhoto":{"ImageUrl":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png","Hyperlink":"","OpenHyperlinkInNewWindow":false,"Alignment":"","AlternateText":"","BorderWidth":0,"Height":0,"HorizontalSpacing":0,"VerticalSpacing":0,"Width":0},"SHDoctorPortraitPhotoUrl":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png","Description":"/sites/shcommonassets/Assets/doctors/portrait-photos/Benjamin%20Lim.png"},"Email":"","SHDoctorRole":"Doctor;#","SHDoctorSalutation":"Dr","SHDoctorFirstName":"Benjamin Lim Tze Ying","SHDoctorLastName":"","SHDoctorOtherName":"","SHDoctorHideProfile":false,"SHDoctorPrimarySpecialty":"Urology","SHDepartmentLink":null,"SHSpecialtyLink":null,"SHSubSpecialtyLink":null,"ListDoctorAcademic":null,"ListDoctorClinical":[{"SHDoctorClinAppPageItemId":"2972","SHDoctorCorporateDesg":"","SHDoctorClinicalAltDesgText":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDesg":"Consultant","SHDoctorClinicalInst":"Sengkang General Hospital","SHDoctorClinicalInstLogo":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg","Description":"/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg"},"SHDoctorClinicalInstUrl":{"Url":"https://www.skh.com.sg/","Description":"https://www.skh.com.sg/"},"SHDoctorClinicalDept":"Department of Urology","SHDoctorClinicalDeptLogo":null,"SHDoctorClinicalDeptUrl":null,"SHDoctorClnicApptsFURL":"benjamin-lim-tze-ying","SHDoctorClinicalDisplayOrder":1}],"ListDoctorSpecialty":[{"SHSpecialtyLink":"Urology","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"Men’s Health","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":1,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"2972","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"benjamin-lim-tze-ying"},{"SHSpecialtyLink":"","SHSubSpecialtyLink":"Andrology","SHSpecialtyLinkDisplayOrder":2,"SHDoctorSpecPageItemId":"2972","SHDoctorSpecialityFURL":"benjamin-lim-tze-ying"}],"ListDoctorInstitution":[{"SHDepartmentLink":"#Department of Urology#","SHDepartmentLogoLink":null,"SHDepartmentUrlLink":null,"SHInstitutionLink":"#Sengkang General Hospital#","SHInstitutionLogoLink":{"Url":"http://authoring.sppub.healthgrp.com.sg/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg","Description":"/_catalogs/masterpage/HealthXChange/images/logos/SKH-logo.jpg"},"SHInstitutionUrlLink":{"Url":"https://www.skh.com.sg/","Description":"https://www.skh.com.sg/"},"SHInstLinkDisplayOrder":1,"SHDoctorInstPageItemId":"2972","SHDoctorInstitutionFURL":"benjamin-lim-tze-ying"}],"DoctorProfileInstitutionString":null,"DoctorProfileDepartmentString":null,"DoctorProfileSpecialtyString":null,"DoctorProfileSubSpecialtyString":null,"ListDoctorResearchAppointment":[],"DoctorResearchAppointmentItem":null,"StartDate":"\/Date(-62135596800000)\/","Path":"/profile/benjamin-lim-tze-ying","LastUpdatedOn":"\/Date(-62135596800000)\/","LastUpdatedOnString":null,"SHDoctorAcademicProgLogo":null,"SHDoctorAcademicProgURL":null,"SHContentTagType":null,"SingHealthInstitution":"","SingHealthSpecialty":"","TypeOfContent":null,"DoctorFriendlyUrl":"benjamin-lim-tze-ying","DoctorSpecialtyFriendlyUrl":null,"SHDoctorResearchEmail":null}]