Renal colic typically begins in the flank and often radiates to below the ribs or the groin. It typically comes in waves due to ureteric peristalsis, but may be constant. It is often described as one of the most severe pains.[1]
Although this condition can be very painful, most ureteric stones under 5 mm size will eventually pass into the bladder without needing treatments, and cause no permanent physical damage. The experience is said to be traumatizing due to the severe pain, and the experience of passing blood and clots as well as pieces of stone. In most cases, people with renal colic are advised to drink more water to facilitate passing; in other instances, lithotripsy or endoscopic surgery may be needed. Preventive treatment can be instituted to minimize the likelihood of recurrence.[2]
The diagnosis of renal colic is the same as the diagnosis for renal calculus and ureteric stones.[citation needed]
Differential diagnosis
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A renal colic must be differentiated from the following conditions:[3]
- ^ Nephrolithiasis~Overview at eMedicine § Background.
- ^ "eMedicine - Nephrolithiasis: Acute Renal Colic: Article by Stephen W Leslie". Retrieved 2008-01-01.
- ^ a b "Managing patients with renal colic in primary care - BPJ 60 April 2014". bpac.org.nz. Retrieved 2019-01-26.
- ^ Ordon, Michael; Andonian, Sero; Blew, Brian; Schuler, Trevor; Chew, Ben; Pace, Kenneth T. (2015-01-01). "CUA Guideline: Management of ureteral calculi". Canadian Urological Association Journal. 9 (11–12): E837–E851. doi:10.5489/cuaj.3483. ISSN 1911-6470. PMC 4707902. PMID 26788233.
- ^ Teece, DD (2006). "Intravenous NSAID's in the management of renal colic: Article by Debasis Das". Emergency Medicine Journal. 23 (3): 224–225. doi:10.1136/emj.2005.034330. PMC 2464448. PMID 16498166.
- ^ Holdgate, A; Pollock, T (18 April 2005). "Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) versus opioids for acute renal colic". The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2): CD004137. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004137.pub3. PMC 6986698. PMID 15846699.
- ^ Lipkin, Michael; Shah, Ojas (2006-01-01). "The Use of Alpha-Blockers for the Treatment of Nephrolithiasis". Reviews in Urology. 8 (Suppl 4): S35–S42. ISSN 1523-6161. PMC 1765041. PMID 17216000.
- ^ Eijk, Anna Maria van; Zulaika, Garazi; Lenchner, Madeline; Mason, Linda; Sivakami, Muthusamy; Nyothach, Elizabeth; Unger, Holger; Laserson, Kayla; Phillips-Howard, Penelope A. (2019-08-01). "Menstrual cup use, leakage, acceptability, safety, and availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis". The Lancet Public Health. 4 (8): e376–e393. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30111-2. ISSN 2468-2667. PMC 6669309. PMID 31324419.