Staghorn Calculus: A Stone out of Proportion to Pain

Abstract

Case Presentation: A 25-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with two weeks of crampy right-flank pain, and urinary urgency and frequency. She was found to have a staghorn calculus filling her entire right renal pelvis on computed tomography imaging. Discussion: In contrast to ureteral calculi, staghorn calculi are more commonly observed in female patients and typically present with an indolent clinical course. A low threshold for imaging should be maintained, as prompt referral to urology for stone removal or treatment is necessary. Staghorn calculi have a high likelihood of leading to renal failure or urosepsis without treatment.