There is little debate that renal calculus disease remains a significant health problem in our population. The incidence of urolithiasis has been estimated to be as high as 12%.<sup>31 Seftel A., Resnick M.I. Metabolic evaluation of urolithiasis Urol Clin North Am 1990 ;  17 : 159

Haga clic aquí para ir a la sección de Referencias</sup> Stones occur twice as often in men than in women and occur 3 to 4 times as often in whites than in blacks. Men between the ages of 20 and 50 appear particularly at risk. Improvement in our ability to treat patients with kidney stones has shifted the focus away from patient evaluation. Twenty years ago, when open surgery was the primary form of treatment, greater emphasis was placed on diagnosis and prevention. The goal was to reduce the risk of recurrent stone formation with the attendant need for additional surgical procedures. The “modern stone age” has seen the development of endourologic techniques and shock wave lithotripsy. The ease with which patients now can be treated has resulted in many clinicians taking a more cavalier approach to the identification of etiologic factors and to the development of preventative strategies. This article reviews the various laboratory and imaging modalities that are available and the rationale for their use.