Aetiopathogenesis of idiopathic bladder stone disease of childhood: possible role of a temporary state of residual urine

One hundred children with idiopathic bladder stone disease and 33 controls were studied to test an hypothesis that blamed infantile diarrhoea as the cause and postulated also a state of temporary reflex obstruction to urine out-flow. A significant [P. < 0.001] number of patients displayed evidence of anal verge lesions. Early circumcision [during first three months of age] was found in one out of 33 patients. Breast feeding was more common among patients [P < 0.05] and the highest frequency was seen in the fourth child of the family. It is suggested that a temporary state of residual urine preceded the onset of symptoms of stone disease. The recumbent position of infancy was suggested to promote growth of nuclei of stones in the bladder because of the observed coincidence in more than 50% of patients, of the onset of symptoms with the beginning of the child to walk alone