Management of Stone Disease in the Spina Bifida Patient

TL;DR

This paper reviews how urinary tract stones affect people with spina bifida and emphasizes the need for specialized care to manage complications.

Contribution

The paper highlights the unique challenges of stone disease in spina bifida patients and calls for improved strategies to reduce complications.

Findings

Spina bifida patients have a higher risk of urinary tract stone disease.

Bladder augmentation increases the risk of stone-related complications.

Urologists need specialized knowledge to manage stone disease in this population.

Abstract

This review provides a detailed overview of the specifics of presentation, diagnosis, and management of upper and lower urinary tract stone disease for individuals with spina bifida.

Recent studies highlight the significant burden of stone disease for spina bifida patients.

Individuals with spina bifida require lifelong urologic care. They are more likely to have stone disease and have complications from management. This is a particularly salient issue for patients who have undergone bladder augmentation. Given the frequency and severity of these issues, it is critical that urologists be familiar with the nuances of stone disease in this population. Further strategies are needed to decrease the morbidity associated with stone disease amongst individuals with spina bifida.