Question:

Struvite stone is caused by which metal?

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Struvite = magnesium ammonium phosphate, the infection or triple phosphate stone.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
  • Magnesium
  • Calcium
  • Sodium & potassium
  • Both (a) & (b)
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The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Identify the chemical composition of a struvite stone. Struvite is a crystalline mineral made of magnesium ammonium phosphate, with the formula \(MgNH_4PO_4 \cdot 6H_2O\).
Step 2: The metal in this formula is magnesium, so option (a) is correct. Struvite stones are also called triple phosphate or infection stones.
Step 3: They form in alkaline urine, classically due to urease-producing organisms (Proteus, Klebsiella) that split urea and raise urinary pH, favouring precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate.
Step 4: Distractor check - calcium (b) is the metal of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate stones, not struvite, so (b) and the combined option (d) are wrong; sodium and potassium (c) do not form clinically important renal calculi here.
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