Kidney Stones, Pyelonephritis & Bladder Cancer: Step 1 review notes and self-test
Notes for the Kidney Stones, Pyelonephritis & Bladder Cancer rapid review: the clue that separates each of its 5 confusion pairs, with timestamps and a self-test.
October 21, 2026
This video covers kidney stones, urinary infections, and urinary tract and prostate conditions. Watch the video, then use these notes to test yourself.
Calcium oxalate / uric acid stones vs Cystine / struvite stones
Use X-ray visibility, urine pH, crystal shape, and infection history to separate these stones. Calcium oxalate stones are radiopaque and envelope-shaped, uric acid stones are radiolucent and form in acidic urine, cystine stones are hexagonal from cystinuria, and struvite stones are urease-positive infection stones that form in alkaline urine and can become staghorn calculi. The trap is relying on radiopacity alone.
Calcium oxalate / uric acid stones vs Cystine / struvite stones Envelope/radiopaque is calcium oxalate; acidic/radiolucent is uric acid; hexagonal is cystine; infection/alkaline/staghorn is struvite. Open the comparison and video →Cystitis vs Pyelonephritis
Cystitis causes bladder-only dysuria, frequency, urgency, and suprapubic pain, usually without fever or flank pain. Pyelonephritis causes kidney infection with fever, chills, flank pain, costovertebral angle tenderness, nausea, vomiting, or WBC casts. The trap is that dysuria can occur in both, so you should use systemic symptoms and flank or costovertebral angle findings to identify upper tract involvement.
Cystitis vs Pyelonephritis Cystitis is bladder-only dysuria/frequency; pyelonephritis is kidney infection with fever, flank pain, CVA tenderness, or WBC casts. Open the comparison and video →Renal cell carcinoma vs Urothelial carcinoma of renal pelvis
A renal cortical mass points to renal cell carcinoma, while a tumor in the renal pelvis, ureter, or collecting-system lining points to urothelial carcinoma. The trap is that both can cause painless hematuria, so you should use the tumor compartment and cytology to separate them.
Renal cell carcinoma vs Urothelial carcinoma of renal pelvis Renal cortical parenchymal mass means RCC; renal pelvis or collecting-system urothelial lining means urothelial carcinoma. Open the comparison and video →Urothelial bladder cancer vs Squamous bladder cancer
Urothelial bladder cancer is the most common bladder cancer and is linked to smoking or aromatic amine exposure. Squamous bladder cancer is linked to chronic irritation, stones, long-term catheters, or Schistosoma haematobium exposure. The trap is that both can cause painless hematuria, so you should use the risk factor and histology to separate them.
Urothelial bladder cancer vs Squamous bladder cancer Urothelial is smoking/aromatic amine and most common; squamous is chronic irritation or Schistosoma-associated. Open the comparison and video →BPH vs Prostate cancer and prostatitis
BPH is smooth transition-zone enlargement that causes obstruction, prostate cancer is a hard peripheral-zone malignancy, and prostatitis is a painful inflamed prostate. The trap is that urinary symptoms and PSA can overlap, so you should use exam texture, pain, fever, and biopsy context to separate them.
BPH vs Prostate cancer and prostatitis BPH is smooth transition-zone obstruction; cancer is hard peripheral-zone malignancy; prostatitis is painful inflamed prostate. Open the comparison and video →Quick self-test
Name the diagnosis from the clue, then tap to check.
____ is upper urinary tract/kidney infection with fever, chills, flank pain, costovertebral angle tenderness, nausea/vomiting, and risk of bacteremia.
Pyelonephritis · Cystitis vs Pyelonephritis
____ is lower urinary tract infection with dysuria, frequency, urgency, suprapubic pain, pyuria, bacteriuria, and usually no fever or flank pain.
Cystitis · Cystitis vs Pyelonephritis
____ causes lower urinary tract symptoms from periurethral transition-zone nodular hyperplasia with smooth enlarged prostate.
Keep going
Every pair in this review has a free page in the library with a side-by-side comparison and a practice question. Work through the ones you missed in the self-test first.