Ureteral stones are usually the result of a kidney stone temporarily obstructing the narrowing of the ureter during its expulsion. Primary ureteral stones are rare. If a ureteral stone is not expelled, it may grow in size at the site of retention. Ureteral stones are usually accompanied by significant symptoms such as renal colic, hematuria, and ureteral stones also often cause obstruction and hydronephrosis, all of which require emergency treatment. Clinical manifestations: The clinical manifestations of ureteral stones are similar to those of kidney stones. The peak age of onset is 20-50 years old, which means that they are more likely to occur in the workforce in the prime of life, with 2-3 times more men than women. Symptoms 1, lumbar colic: renal colic is a typical symptom of ureteral calculi, usually after exercise or at night suddenly occur on one side of the waist and back severe pain, because too much pain often described as “knife cut-like”, while the lower abdomen and inner thighs pain, nausea and vomiting, pale, etc.. The patient is restless and in great pain. Some patients have vague pain and swelling in the lower back. After the pain, some patients can find stones excreted with urine. 2.Hematuria: About 80% of patients present with hematuria, only some of them can be found red urine by naked eyes, most of them can only be found by laboratory urine test. 3. Asymptomatic: Many patients find ureteral stones by chance during physical examination without any symptoms. 4, hydronephrosis: stones block the ureter and cause hydronephrosis due to poor urine drainage. Some hydronephrosis can be without any symptoms. Long-term hydronephrosis can cause impaired kidney function on the affected side. Severe bilateral hydronephrosis may lead to uremia. 5. Fever: Ureteral stones can also induce bacterial infection, leading to pus accumulation in the kidney and high fever. Because the stone hinders the discharge of urine, bacteria cannot be discharged in time, which can lead to sepsis in serious cases and endanger life. DiagnosisDifferential diagnosisDiagnosis: Urological X-ray can be used as a preliminary test for ureteral stones, and about 10% of ureteral stones do not show up. Ultrasound is not a good way to diagnose ureteral stones because most of the ureter is obscured by the intestines and bones, and ultrasound can usually only probe the upper part of the ureter. A definitive diagnosis of ureteral stones relies on CT and intravenous urography (IVU). Differential diagnosis: When renal colic occurs, it needs to be differentiated from cholecystitis, appendicitis, intestinal obstruction, ureteral stricture, ureteral tumor, etc.; abdominal calcification points need to be differentiated from gallbladder stones, lymph node calcification, renal tuberculosis, pelvic vein stones, etc. First-aid measures: If you encounter the following conditions, you need to go to the hospital for emergency treatment as soon as possible. 1, renal colic: give antispasmodic and analgesic treatment. 2.Infection and high fever: Give antibiotics and antipyretic treatment, and more importantly, drain the pus from the kidney by placing ureteral stent or renal puncture fistula as soon as possible. 3. Anuria: If uremia has occurred and the body is in critical condition, dialysis treatment is needed. If the condition is stable, it is also necessary to place ureteral stent or renal puncture fistula to temporarily drain urine and protect kidney function. Treatment: Ureteral stones tend to cause ureteral obstruction and should be treated aggressively. Usually, 80%-90% of ureteral stones smaller than 5mm can be expelled within 6 weeks, so conservative treatment is usually chosen. You can take lithotripsy herbs, together with antispasmodic and analgesic drugs, ureteral relaxation drugs, etc. According to the “Guidelines for the Treatment of Ureteral Stones” of the Chinese Medical Association Urology Section, ureteral stones larger than 5 mm can be treated by extracorporeal lithotripsy or ureteroscopic stone extraction. Generally speaking, for stones in the upper ureter, extracorporeal lithotripsy is more effective; for stones in the middle and lower ureter, ureteroscopic stone retrieval is more certain. If the ureteral stones are too large and extracorporeal lithotripsy or ureteroscopic treatment fails, incision for stone extraction is an option. After the treatment, it is important to review the stone so that the stone can be removed.