MODERN APPROACHES TO THE TREATMENT OF UROLITHIASIS IN CHILDREN

In recent years, the prevalence of pediatric urolithiasis (PU) has increased significantly worldwide, which is associated with both changes in diet and lifestyle, and earlier diagnosis of the disease (1). This has made the choice of optimal treatment tactics one of the central topics of research in pediatric urology. It is worth noting that due to the anatomical and physiological features of the urinary system in children, the etiology and approaches to therapy of PU differ in many ways from those in adults. The most common causes are congenital anomalies of the urinary tract, metabolic disorders and urinary tract infections. Anatomical factors include obstruction of the pyeloureteral segment, megaureter, ureteral cysts and urethral valves. Among metabolic disorders, the most common are hypercalciuria, hypocitraturia, hyperoxaluria, hyperuricuria, hypouricuria, cystinuria and hypomagnesiumuria (2, 3). Prevention plays a key role in reducing the risk of recurrence, which remains high in pediatric patients. It includes both drug-based methods (e.g., potassium citrate) and non-drug-based measures, such as limiting animal protein, salt, and simple sugars, and increasing fluid intake (4). It is extremely important to minimize the number of surgical interventions and their potential negative impact on the developing renal parenchyma.