Atypical idiopathic hypercalciuria in an adolescent.

Idiopathic hypercalciuria (IH) in adults is recognized as a cause of urolithiasis. If IH is symptomatic, the symptoms are hematuria, renal colic, or obstructive uropathy with or without infection. In children, IH has been linked to the spectrum of urinary symptoms including hematuria, pyuria, dysuria, recurrent urinary infections, abdominal or suprapubic pain, proteinuria, and the frequency-urgency syndrome. Hematuria may appear prior to the appearance of stones, and thiazide therapy appears to prevent stone formation by decreasing urinary calcium excretion. This report describes an older adolescent with hematuria and flank pain. His urinary chemistry values were not consistently typical of IH, but a thiazide trial with withdrawal challenge was diagnostic. His case is remarkable because, though essentially an adult, his disease was typical of prepubertal disease. Adolescents with unexplained urinary symptoms should be evaluated for IH. The urinary calcium-creatinine ratio may not be elevated, and timed urinary calcium may be equivocal. In some cases a thiazide trial may be valuable and cost effective.