Citrate excretion in spinal cord patients.

Low urinary citrate is a risk factor in calcium renal stone disease. The aim of this work was to identify the factors responsible for the low excretion of citrate frequently observed in patients with spinal cord lesions. Thirty male patients with spinal cord lesions were studied by blood and urine biochemistry. The most important single factor related to urinary citrate was urinary potassium. The presence or absence of urinary stone disease and variations in urinary volume also contributed significantly to variations in citrate excretion. Determination of plasma and urinary citrate, urinary sodium and bacteriological culture of urine permitted complete discrimination of the 7 stone formers from the other patients.