Struvite stone, first described by a Swedish geologist named Ulex in 1845, is composed of magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate and it is closely related to urinary tract infection caused by urease-producing organisms, namely Proteus, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, and Staphylococcus bacteria. Staghorn stones are infection stones in 49–68% of cases and, therefore, the term staghorn traditionally referred to struvite stone. Īlthough kidney stones are commoner in men, staghorn stones are less often reported in men compared to women and they are usually unilateral. Previously, it was widely accepted that staghorn stones formed 10–20% of the entire urinary stones however, this figure is currently reduced to 4% in developed countries due to early and effective management of renal stones. Although, the term ‘staghorn’ provides description of stone configuration, it lacks specific volume criteria and information about stone composition. Staghorn stones are large branching stones that fill part of all of the renal pelvis and renal calyces and they can be complete or partial depending on the level of occupancy of the collecting system. The decision for optimal treatment of staghorn stones should be individualized according to the circumstances of the patient involved and in order to do so, a closer look at the advantages and disadvantages of each option is necessary. Other non-surgical options are usually considered in combination with surgery or as monotherapy only if patients are surgically unfit. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy should be the recommended first-line treatment for staghorn stones. Generally, the gold standard treatment for staghorn stones is surgical with a view to achieve stone-free collecting system and preserve renal function. Staghorn stones are, therefore, significant disease entity that should be managed aggressively and effectively. Conversely, conservative treatment has been shown to carry a mortality rate of 28% in 10-year period and 36% risk of developing significant renal impairment. Due to the significant morbidity and potential mortality attributed to staghorn stones, prompt assessment and treatment is mandatory. Although kidney stones are commoner in men, staghorn stones are less often reported in men compared to women and they are usually unilateral.
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