The urinary tract includes the
kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra. Within
each kidney, urine flows from the outer cortex
to the inner medulla. The renal pelvis is the
funnel through which urine exits the kidney and
enters the ureter.
As urine can become very concentrated as it
passes through the kidneys. When the urine becomes
too concentrated, calcium, uric acid salts and
other chemicals dissolved in the urine can crystallize,
forming a kidney stone (renal calculus).
Usually the calculus is the size of a small
pebble. But ureters are very sensitive to being
stretched, and when stones form and distend it,
the stretching can be very painful. Often, people
may not know they have kidney stones until they
feel the painful symptoms resulting from a stone
being stuck anywhere along the urinary tract.
Fortunately, small stones typically passed out
of the kidneys and through the ureters on their
own without causing any problems.
However, stones can become more problematic
when they block the flow of urine. A staghorn
kidney stone may obstruct the entire kidney.
Fortunately, these stones are the exception rather
than the rule.
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