I will not cut for stone, even for patients in whom the disease is manifest; I will leave this operation to be performed by practitioners (specialists in this art). HIPPOCRATIC OATH

Bladder calculi have plagued mankind since time eternal. Archeologists discovered a stone resting in the pelvis of an ancient Egyptian skeleton dating back more than 7000 years.<sup>91 Shattock S.G. A prehistoric or predynastic Egyptian calculus Translations of Pathologic Society of London 1905 ;  56 : 275

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Although the ancient Greeks described the perineal vesicolithotomy 4000 years later, it was not until the 5th century bce that Hippocrates thoroughly documented this aggravating malady. The first true “lithotomist,” Ammonius of Alexandria, emerged about 200 bce. He utilized the perineal approach and invented the handheld lithotrite.<sup>92 Shelley H.S. Cutting for the stone J Hist Med 1958 ;  13 : 50  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Many of the principles developed by early pioneers are still in use today and can be studied in many excellent historical references.<sup>1 Abdel-Halim R.E. Paediatric urology 1000 years ago Prog Pediatr Surg 1986 ;  20 : 256

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 11 Bloom D.A. Hippocrates and urology: The first surgical subspecialty Urology 1997 ;  50 : 157  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 40 Giannopoulos T., Kostakopoulos A., Sofras F. , e al. The operation of lithotomy in ancient Greece Urol Int 1987 ;  42 : 210

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 64 Lin J.I. Vesical calculus, lithotrity, and Napolean III NY State J Med 1989 ;  89 : 472

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 87 Richet G. The chemistry of urinary stones around 1800: A first in clinical chemistry Kidney Int 1995 ;  48 : 876  [cross-ref]

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 103 Szalai F., Javor E. Finding of a bladder stone from the Avar period in southeast Hungary Int Urol Nephrol 1987 ;  19 : 151

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 109 Thomalla J.V. The myth of stone: Lithotomy history and the Hippocratic Oath Indiana Med 1989 ;  82 : 434

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 110 Urquhart-Hay D. Samuel Pepys and his bladder stone Br J Urol 1992 ;  70 : 509

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 111 Urquhart-Hay D. Sir Henry Thompson BT, the first English urologist Br J Urol 1994 ;  73 : 345

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Fortunately, in the past 50 years, the incidence of vesical calculi in developed countries has declined significantly. Currently, they represent roughly 5% of all urinary calculi in the Western world.<sup>104 Takasaki E., Murahashi I., Nagata M. A four-year retrospective study of urolithiasis Dokkyo Journal of Medical Science 1979 ;  6 : 120

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti, 116 Yoshida O. A chronological and geographical study on urolithiasis in Japan Japanese Journal of Endourology and ESWL 1990 ;  3 : 5

Cliccare qui per andare alla sezione Riferimenti</sup> Underdeveloped nations still suffer from endemic bladder calculi, especially children. Few contemporary series of bladder calculi exist in the English literature. What prevails however, is an abundance of fascinating case reports and treatises on novel treatment methods. The following is a compilation of the English literature on the causes, treatments, and preventions of vesical calculi.