British Journal of Hospital Medicine (BJHM) is published by IMR Press from Volume 87 Issue 1 (2026). Previous articles were published by another publisher under the hybrid model (CC-BY-NC license or on a subscription basis), and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement.
Diagnosis and management of renal (ureteric) colic
Hashim U Ahmed 1, Azhar A Khan 2, Nikos Bafaloukas 3, Iqbal S Shergill 3, Niels-Peter N Buchholz 3
Affiliations
Article Info
1 Institute of Urology, London,
2 Bristol Urological Institute, Bristol,
3 Lithotripsy and Stone Services, St Bartholomews and Royal London Hospitals, London
Abstract
Renal (ureteric) colic is a common surgical emergency. It is usually caused by calculi obstructing the ureter, but about 15% of patients have other causes, e.g. extrinsic compression, intramural neoplasia or an anatomical abnormality. This review will focus on calculus-related renal or ureteric colic, its assessment and subsequent management.