Prevalence of urolithiasis in the autonomous city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Urolithiasis is the third most common pathological disease afflicting the urinary tract, and usually occurs between the third and fourth decades of an individual's life. Epidemiological studies about this condition are lacking in our country. In 1998, we performed an epidemiological, cross-sectional study of the prevalence of urolithiasis in a sample of 1,086 subjects, which included men and women of all ages, selected from the general population of the city of Buenos Aires. The method used to gather basic information was an auto administered questionnaire about the present or past history of urolithiasis that was handled at the dwelling by a trained volunteer. We found a 3.96% lifetime prevalence of urolithiasis in the general population of Buenos Aires. The rate was slightly higher in men (4.35%) than in women (3.62%), with a male to female ratio of 1.19:1. No case of urolithiasis was found in subjects under the age of 20. In subjects over 19 years, the prevalence rate of the disease was 5.14%; 5.98% for men (CI 3.41-8.55%) and 4.49% for women (CI 2.61-6.37%). Prevalence increased with age, ranging from 2.75% in the 20-39 age group to 7.79% in those >or=60 years. The life time prevalence rate of urolithiasis observed in Buenos Aires is similar to that reported in a few other studies performed among males and females in the general population of USA and Europe. Prevalence of urolithiasis increases with age both in men and in women.