What are Bladder Stones?

Bladder stones are hard lumps of minerals that can form inside the bladder when it’s not completely empty of urine.

Bladder stones, also called vesical calculus, or cystoliths, are caused by a concretion of minerals. They can occur if the bladder is not completely emptied after urination. Eventually, the leftover urine becomes concentrated and minerals within the liquid turn into crystals. Sometimes, these stones will be passed while they are still very small. Other times, bladder stones can get stuck to the wall of the bladder or ureter (a pipe running from the kidney to the bladder). If this happens, they gradually gather more mineral crystals, becoming larger over time.

Bladder stones can stay in the bladder for some time and do not always cause symptoms. They are often found when an X-ray is carried out for a different medical reason.

Sometimes just one stone will develop, in other cases a group of stones might form. The stones vary in shape; some are almost spherical while others can be irregular shapes. The smallest bladder stones are barely visible to the naked eye, but some can grow to an impressive size. The largest bladder stone, according to Guinness World Records, weighed almost 4 pounds 3 ounces and measured 17.9 x 12.7 x 9.5 centimeters.

Symptoms of Bladder Stones

Bladder stones are hard lumps of minerals that can form inside the bladder when it’s not completely empty of urine.

They may not cause any symptoms if they’re small enough to be passed out of the bladder when you pee.

However, most people with bladder stones do experience symptoms because the stones either irritate the wall of the bladder or block the flow of urine.

Typical symptoms of bladder stones include:

• Lower abdominal pain, which can often be severe
• Peeing more frequently (particularly at night)
• Cloudy or dark-coloured urine
• Blood in the urine
• Discomfort or pain in the penis for males
• More regular urination or a stop-start flow
• Starting a stream during urination takes longer
• Pain in the lower stomach area
• Pain and discomfort when urinating

Causes of bladder stones

Bladder stones start to grow when urine is left in the bladder after urinating. This is often due to an underlying medical condition that stops the bladder from completely emptying when using the toilet.

Conditions that stop the bladder from fully emptying include:

• Neurogenic bladder: If the nerves that run between the bladder and nervous system are damaged, for instance in a stroke or spinal injury, the bladder may not empty fully.
• Prostate enlargement: If the prostate is enlarged, it can press on the urethra and cause a disruption in flow, leaving some urine in the bladder.
• Medical devices: Bladder stones can be caused by catheters or other medical devices if they move to the bladder.
• Bladder inflammation: Infections of the urinary tract or radiation therapy can leave the bladder enlarged.
• Kidney stones: Kidney stones can migrate down the ureters and, if too large to pass, they will remain in the bladder and can cause obstruction. Kidney stones are more common than bladder stones.
• Bladder diverticula: Pouches can form within the bladder. If the pouches grow to a large size, they can hold urine and prevent the bladder from being fully emptied.
• Cystocele: In women, the bladder wall can become weak and drop down to the vagina; this can affect the flow of urine from the bladder.