Urinary calculi and ulcerative colitis.

A survey of 458 patients treated for ulcerative colitis either medically or surgically by colectomy and the establishment of an ileostomy has provided further evidence that in Australia at least there is a significant association between ulcerative colitis and urinary calculi. The actual risk to the unoperated patient is not particularly high but is in the vicinity of 4%. The survey further confirms that the risk continues after colectomy and ileostomy, when the overall incidence of stones is roughly doubled. Finally, suggestive though admittedly somewhat inconclusive evidence supports the proposition that uric acid stones are more common in this group of patients.