Cystinuria - Kidney Stones

Kidney Stones Slideshow

The stones compared here in size to a quarter (a US $0.25 coin) came from the kidney of a young woman with cystinuria, the most common defect known in the transport of an amino acid (a building block of protein).

The stones were obtained by percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, a procedure for crushing and removing the dense stubborn stones characteristic of cystinuria.

For a fuller understanding of cystinuria, an important genetic cause of kidney stones, please see the MedicineNet.com Cystinuria Center.