A combination of infrared spectroscopy and morphological analysis allows successfully identifying rare crystals and atypical urinary stones

Background. The combination of infrared spectroscopy and morphological analysis significantly improves the urinary stone analysis. In addition to common urinary stones, it is not unusual to encounter spurious or factitious stones that, if not appropriately identified, can lead to errors in the diagnosis. In this study, we show the importance of Infrared Spectroscopy and the morphological analysis, for determining the presence of drugs crystals or atypical components in the calculi.Methods. 1041 urinary stones were analyzed by morphocostitutional analysis, in addition the rare stones were analyzed by chemical spot test analysis.Results. Among 1041 calculi analyzed, 1018 had a known composition, 23 samples were stones with rare composition or fake urinary stones.Conclusions. Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), allows to identify, theoretically, any substance, including drug-containing calculi or calculi with unusual composition and identify false stones. This is mandatory to treat patients affected by urolithiasis with a personalized clinical approach.