Improving stone disease treatment by accurate phenotyping and risk stratification

描述(由申请者提供)：梅奥临床泌尿外科奥布莱恩研究中心的总体目标是开发新的诊断策略，以便准确地对患者进行表型分析，从而应用改进的个性化管理策略。我们将通过4个相互关联的多学科项目来实现这些目标。梅奥诊所奥布莱恩泌尿外科研究中心的重要和及时的目标包括： 1)利用临床双能CT技术开发和验证一种全面的低剂量结石定性检查，以预测结石的脆性，并开发新的CT方法，能够发现最早的可能的先兆病变。 2)确定导致NL前驱病变的因素，包括Randall‘s斑块和管状栓子。 3)明确增加肾结石及其复发风险的具体因素，并开发临床预测工具，帮助临床医生识别高危患者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goals of the Mayo Clinic Urology O'Brien Research Center are to develop new diagnostic strategies in order to accurately phenotype patients and thus apply improved individualized management strategies. We will pursue these goals via 4 interlinked multidisciplinary projects. Important and timely aims of the Mayo Clinic O'Brien Urology Research Center include: 1) Develop and validate a comprehensive low-dose stone-characterization exam using clinical dual-energy CT techniques in order to predict stone fragility, and to develop new CT methods capable of detecting the earliest possible precursor lesions. 2) Determine factors that produce NL precursor lesions including Randall's plaques and tubular plugs. 3) Define specific factors that increase the risk of kidney stones and their recurrence, and develop clinical prediction tools to help clinicians identify high-risk patients.