ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the epidemiology of urolithiasis in Southern Thailand. DESIGN: Descriptive study. MATERIAL AND METHOD: An overview of urolithiasis in the South of Thailand was derived from 10,344 urolithiasis patients seeking treatment in 14 hospitals in southern Thailand, from January to December 2000. An epidemiological study focused on 1,452 urolithiasis patients treated at Songklanagarind Hospital during the same period. Composition of calculi was analysed with infrared spectroscopy. RESULTS: The ratio of male to female was 1.6 : 1 and the most common age group was 41 - 50 years. Ureteric calculi were more frequently found than renal calculi. ESWL was the most common treatment for upper urinary tract (UUT) calculi, while surgery was the most common treatment for lower urinary tract (LUT) calculi. The body mass index (BMI) of 48.1% was between 18.5 - 24.9. The study of the calculi composition showed that oxalate was found in most UUT, and uric acid was found in most LUT CONCLUSION: Ureteric calculi were most common in the South of Thailand. The BMI of urolithiasis patients was higher than the population average.