Hyperoxaluria and Oxalosis

Symptoms

The first signs of hyperoxaluria may appear any time from birth to early adulthood, and vary from mild to severe. Depending on the severity, the first sign of hyperoxaluria is typically kidney stones. If a kidney stone gets stuck in the urinary tract, it may cause an infection. Symptoms of a kidney stone may include:

• Severe or sudden abdominal pain
• Blood in the urine
• Urge to urinate often
• Pain when urinating
• Fever and chills

Since kidney stones are uncommon in childhood, all children and adolescents who have symptoms of kidney stones or are diagnosed with kidney stones should be screened for hyperoxaluria. Children with more severe hyperoxaluria can then be screened for primary hyperoxaluria via more specialized testing.

If primary hyperoxaluria goes untreated, the kidneys will eventually be damaged and may stop working. Signs of kidney failure include:

• A decrease in or no urine output
• General ill feeling, tiredness, and fatigue
• Nausea, vomiting

Sometimes, a patient may have already progressed to oxalosis and, during an eye examination, his or her ophthalmologist may discover oxalate crystals in the patient's eyes. Oxalosis in its late stages will cause bone disease, the result of oxalate crystals depositing in the bones and joints. It may also cause anemia that is difficult to treat, skin ulcers, and heart problems.