What the study found
The study found that three factors were independently associated with 6-month recurrence after surgery for infection-related upper urinary tract stones: residual stones, a positive urine culture during follow-up, and higher CT attenuation values. A nomogram is a risk-prediction chart was built from these factors and showed acceptable internal performance.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say the findings may help support individualized follow-up after surgery for infection-related stones. They conclude that the nomogram could be useful in practice, but note that it still needs external validation.
What the researchers tested
The researchers did a retrospective single-center study of 148 patients with infection-related upper urinary tract stones confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. They split the patients into a modeling cohort and a validation cohort, then used multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors and build a nomogram, which they evaluated with discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis.
What worked and what didn't
Recurrence within 6 months was common in both cohorts, with rates of 44.2% in the modeling group and 70.5% in the validation group. Patients with recurrence more often had residual stones, renal atrophy, and positive urine cultures at follow-up, and they had higher median CT values. Residual stones, positive follow-up urine culture, and CT value remained independent predictors, and the nomogram had an area under the curve of 0.86 in the modeling group and 0.75 in the validation group.
What to keep in mind
This was a retrospective study from one center, and the validation was internal only. The authors state that the nomogram requires external validation before broader use.
Key points
- Residual stones were an independent predictor of 6-month recurrence.
- Positive urine culture during follow-up was also independently linked to recurrence.
- Higher CT attenuation values were associated with recurrence.
- The nomogram reached an AUC of 0.86 in the modeling group and 0.75 in the validation group.
- The study used a retrospective single-center sample of 148 patients.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Residual stones and urine culture predict early stone recurrence
- Authors:
- Geng-Geng Wei, Qingshan Yang, Hai-Rui Chen, Yu Yang, Jun-Feng Tang, Kristine J. S. Kwan, Zhen-Quan Lu, Lin Xiong, Xiang Xu
- Institutions:
- Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Pudong Medical Center, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital, University of Hong Kong – Shenzhen Hospital
- Publication date:
- 2026-03-10
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Koelle at German Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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