Bladder calculi are the rarest form and account for 5% of urinary calculi and usually occur because of bladder outlet obstruction, neurogenic voiding dysfunction, urinary tract infection, or foreign bodies. Males are more likely to be affected than females. Bladder stones weighing more than 100gm are considered as huge and they are rare occurrences and there were few reported cases in literatures.(1, 2)
There are different predisposing factors which are baseline cause for development of urinary bladder caliculi.Bladder outlet obstruction especially in aged patients due to benign prostatic hyperplasia and urethral stricture.Chronic urinary retension,recurrent urinary tract infection are also predisposing conditions for bladder calculi .These all may lead to concentrated residual urine and predispose to stone formation.(3, 4) Bladder stones are mostly associated with renal or ureteral calculi, and they rarely ever occur without associated upper urinary tract calculi, as in our patient. There was also environmental and lifestyle associations of bladder stone formation. The incidence of urolithiasis is higher in the population with more laborious work, because it is more likely to have an unhealthy lifestyle, irregular diet, and less fluid intake thus leading to dehydration. Furthermore, people with outdoor working activities and high temperatures like in our patient who is a farmer and living in hot environment, are twice as likely to suffer from urolithiasis. Hot temperature accelerates evaporation from skin, accompanied by low fluid intake, which can lead to dehydration and concentrated urine. Excessive exposure to sunlight can lead to higher production of vitamin D, which further drives calcium absorption in the gut.(5, 6)
Bladder stone can be asymptomatic and sometimes identified incidentally. But most patients present with urinary symptoms like dysuria, lower abdominal pain, and hematuria. Like in our patient they may present with urinary retaintion.There are also patients reported with renal failure.(4, 6)
The diagnosis of vesical calculi requires a high index of suspicion. A history of suprapubic pain that is aggravated by exercise, an interruption of the urinary stream, and terminal hematuria are helpful but not pathognomonic of the disease because they may be caused by other lesions in the bladder.The preferred method for diagnosis is cystoscopy, but an X-ray or an ultrasound is sometimes enough. Because of its size, cystolithotomy is the correct treatment for a giant bladder stone. As the urological surgery recommendation there are a number of techniques and modalities available to remove bladder stones. Relieving the obstruction, eliminating the infection, meticulous surgical technique, and accurate diagnosis are essential in their treatment.(7)
Even in urologic centers where cystoscope is available,open cystolithotomy is the preferred mode of treatment for large bladder stone.Our set up I not a urologic set up but as a general resource limited set up,open cystolithotomy is done regularly despite of the size of the stone.(5, 7)