A member asked:

Had a ct scan that noted a "punctate nonobstructing calculus" in rt kidney but didn't say size. what does that mean, and should i be concerned that it will pass soon?

2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
Dr. Saptarshi Bandyopadhyay answered

Specializes in Hospital-based practice

Punctate=small: Punctate means "like a point" - ie, the size of the stone is so small that it cannot be accurately measured (which is why the size was not listed). Most CT scans have a resolution of about 5 mm; any stone less than 1 cm is likely to pass PROVIDED IT IS IN THE URETER. Without seeing the images / report, it's hard to say if stone will pass or not. Drink plenty of citrus liquids (lemonade, &c) until

Answered 5/20/2018

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Very small stones: We usually say punctate when it is no more than a couple of mm in size. While this may imply that there is nothing to worry, that is not always true. I have seen these stones stay as is for years in some patients and again I have seen them become larger and cause symptoms. The reason I believe is because we cannot tell with certainty where exactly in the kidney the calcification is.

Answered 7/5/2017

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