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Urolithiasis is a condition in which hard deposits made of salts and minerals are accumulated inside the kidneys. A lot of studies demonstrated adult urolithiasis but studies on pediatric urolithiasis is still scarce. Studies had shown that pediatric urolithiasis prevalence is progressively increasing worldwide. The main cause for this increase is not totally clear but has been associated to changes in climate, nutritional habits and other environmental factors. Pediatric urolithiasis is distinctive and different from adult urolithiasis concerning prevalence, etiology and clinical presentation. Over the time while the condition was evolving, the main cause has changed from predominantly infectious to metabolic in nature. Pediatric urolithiasis should not be underestimated as it is associated with morbidity mainly since it possesses a striking feature which is ability to recur. Metabolic risk factors are more communal in pediatric urolithiasis than in adults. The common type of calculi in children is comprised of either calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate mainly and is often associated with a metabolic abnormality. Informed as metabolic abnormalities, Idiopathic hypercalciuria and hypocitraturia are the most frequently reported. A good understanding of the causes and risk factors of pediatric urolithiasis will provide better strategies and techniques for calculi treatment and prevention in children.

Background and study aims Currently, there are no studies conducted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) that have assessed the relationship between ulcerative colitis (UC) flare-ups and smoking. The present study aims to assess the risk of UC flare-ups and evaluate the relationship between UC flare-ups and smoking in adult patients following up at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, KSA. Patients and methods This was a retrospective study involving patients with confirmed UC between January 2015 and December 2020. Various information was examined, including demographic, clinical, endoscopic, radiologic, and laboratory data. Descriptive statistics were used for summarizing findings and a logistic regression analysis was applied to test for possible associations. Results Eighty-nine patients with UC were included in the study. Almost half (48.3%) had recurrent UC flare-ups during follow-up. A non-significant relationship was found between recurrent UC flares and all types of smoking habits (cigarette smoking, P = 0.15; shisha smoking, P = 0.88; and vape smoking, P = 0.09). Participants who were underweight (P = 0.041), had family history of UC (P = 0.013), depression (P = 0.033), fecal incontinence (P = 0.003), iron deficiency anemia (P = 0.009), or a malignancy (P = 0.039) had a significantly higher probability of experiencing recurrent flares. Binary logistic regressions revealed that family history of UC (OR = 5.3, P = 0.007) and fecal incontinence (OR = 4.7, P = 0.006) were associated significantly with recurrent flares. Conclusion There was no clear association between smoking and recurrent UC flares identified in this cohort. Of the variables considered, UC patients with fecal incontinence or family history of UC were at the highest risk of developing recurrent flares.