[Analysis of urinary calculi in adults from the Moroccan Medium Atlas by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry]. / Analyse des calculs urinaires de l'adulte dans le Moyen Atlas marocain par spectrophotométrie infrarouge à transformée de Fourier.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the stone composition in adult patients from the medium Atlas of Morocco. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A series of 183 calculi from adult patients (males: 123, females: 60) collected in medium Atlas of Morocco was analysed by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy. The stones were surgically removed (n = 168) or spontaneously passed (n = 15). RESULTS: Kidney stones are encountered in 70.5% of calculi. The stones were twice frequent in males than in females (M/F = 2.10). Whewellite was the main component in 51.4% of the stones and 49.7% of the stone core, weddellite in only 7.1% of stones and 6.4% of the nuclei. Uric acid was predominant in 18% of stones and also 19.7% of nuclei, and carbapatite in 12.6% of stones and nuclei. All in all, whewellite was present in 77.6% of calculi and weddellite in 25.1%, carbapatite in 68.3% and PACC in 23.5%, struvite in 15.3%, uric acid in 20.8% and ammonium hydrogen urate in 14.2% of cases. Struvite stones were more frequent in females and uric acid calculi in males, in particular in patients aged more than 60 years old. CONCLUSION: As observed in most countries, calcium oxalate was the most frequent major component of the stones (58.5%). Uric acid stones were more frequent (18%) than reported in Western countries, thus suggesting that particular dietary habits are involved in stone formation. The relatively high occurrence of struvite stones (8%) could be a marker of an insufficient early detection and treatment of chronic urinary tract infection.

[Analysis of calculi by infrared spectroscopy in children from the Moroccan mid-Atlas region]. / Analyse de la lithiase de l'enfant dans le Moyen Atlas marocain par spectrophotométrie infrarouge.

Calculi from 45 Moroccan children aged between 2 and 15 years underwent morphological and infrared spectrometric analysis. The stones were three times more frequent in males than females (M/F = 3.09). Whewellite was the main component in 51.1% of cases and in 44.4% of stone nuclei, wheddellite in 8.9% of stones and nuclei, carbapatite in 6.7% of stones and 8.9% of nuclei, struvite in 15.6% of stones and 11.1% of nuclei. Ammonium hydrogen urate and uric acid were predominant respectively in 8.9% and 6.7% of stones and in 15.6% and 11.1% of nuclei. In addition to whewellite, struvite and ammonium hydrogen urate were the main components of bladder stones from both sexes. With respect to their calculi, whewellite was present in 84.4% of cases and wheddellite in 26.7%. Purines were present in 46% of calculi, especially as ammonium urate (28.9%) and uric acid (15.6%). Calcium phosphates as the main components were infrequent. In contrast, they were frequently identified in urinary calculi from children, respectively 64.4% and 40% for carbapatite and amorphous carbonated calcium phosphate.