Which condition is better known as kidney stones?

• A. Renal calculi
• B. Pyelonephritis
• C. Hydronephrosis
• D. Cystitis

Answer: (A)

Kidney stones are medically called renal calculi. They form when minerals crystallize in the kidney and grow into stones that can cause severe pain and sometimes blood in the urine as they pass through the urinary tract. This term directly identifies the condition described as kidney stones.

The other conditions refer to different urinary tract problems: pyelonephritis is an infection of the kidney itself; hydronephrosis is swelling of a kidney due to urine buildup from obstruction; cystitis is inflammation of the bladder, usually from infection. While these can be related to urinary symptoms, they are not kidney stones.