Medical management of nephrolithiasis.

About 1 out of 14 males and 1 out of 30 females are afflicted with kidney stones. In many of these patients, the disease is recurrent. Fortunately, our understanding of the disease and ability to treat renal stone disease has increased in the last decade. Parenteral NSAIDs have been shown to be as effective as narcotics in treating renal colic. Dietary and drug therapy after proper metabolic evaluation of patients with recurrent stones is beneficial in reducing the recurrence rate. New understanding of the role of diet and many organic inhibitors of crystallization in urine will further broaden the scope of management of this common disease.