What is the medical term for kidney stones?

The medical term for kidney stones is nephrolithiasis. This term comes from "nephro," meaning kidney, and "lithiasis," meaning the presence of stones. Thus, nephrolithiasis specifically refers to the condition where stones, or calculi, form within the kidney. These stones can cause pain, urinary obstruction, and other complications depending on their size and location within the urinary tract.

Other terms in the list refer to different conditions. Vesicoureteral reflux is an abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters, which is unrelated to the formation of kidney stones. Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder characterized by the development of numerous cysts in the kidneys, also not directly associated with kidney stones. Oliguria describes a condition of low urine output, which is a symptom that can occur in various kidney conditions but does not pertain specifically to the formation of stones.