Urolithiasis: a tribal scenario.

Urolithiasis is quite prevalent in Satpura belt of Central India. Forty five children with urolithiasis were studied in Jawahar Medical Foundations Hospital, Dhule, Maharashtra over a period of three years. The mean age was 7.1 +/- 3.2 (range 18 months-15 years). The chief presenting complaints were dysuria and lower abdominal pain. The physical, laboratory and radiographic findings were evaluated. Calculi were located in the bladder (80%), urethra (9%), kidney (6.6%) and ureter (4.4%). Calculi were mainly composed of calcium oxalate (65.7%) and calcium phosphate (34.3%). The predominant urinary tract stones in the tribal Satpura belt are bladder stones and may be related to poor nutrition, low socioeconomic status and consumption of bajra (millet) as staple food as found in this region (93.5%).