Kidney and ureter stones
Also known as: Calculus of upper urinary tract, unspecified
General information only. Anpheros does not diagnose and does not recommend treatment. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your situation. In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number).
In short
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine, ranging in size from a grain of sand to a pearl. While most kidney stones pass out of the body without medical assistance, some can get stuck in the urinary tract, block urine flow, and cause great pain. Signs that require medical help include extreme back or side pain that does not go away, blood in the urine, fever, chills, vomiting, cloudy or foul-smelling urine, and a burning feeling during urination. Diagnosis is performed using urine, blood, and imaging tests, and treatment for stones that do not pass on their own can involve shock waves, a scope inserted through the urethra, or surgery.
Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
AI-generated summary of the sources cited on this page, checked automatically against them. Not reviewed by a clinician; not medical advice.
Codes
Description
A kidney stone is a solid piece of material that forms in the kidney from substances in the urine. It may be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a pearl. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But sometimes a stone will not go away. It may get stuck in the urinary tract, block the flow of urine and cause great pain.
The following may be signs of kidney stones that need a doctor's help:
- Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away
- Blood in your urine
- Fever and chills
- Vomiting
- Urine that smells bad or looks cloudy
- A burning feeling when you urinate
Your doctor will diagnose a kidney stone with urine, blood, and imaging tests.
If you have a stone that won't pass on its own, you may need treatment. It can be done with shock waves; with a scope inserted through the tube that carries urine out of the body, called the urethra; or with surgery.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Next to it in ICD-10
- N17Acute kidney failure
- N18Chronic kidney disease, stage unspecified
- N19Kidney failure (not specified)
- N23Renal colic
- N40Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia)
- N41Prostatitis
Neighbouring codes in the classification, not a medical link.
External resources
Questions
What is the ICD-10 code for Kidney and ureter stones?
N20 (WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).
What is the ICD-11 code for Kidney and ureter stones?
GB70.Z: Calculus of upper urinary tract, unspecified (WHO, ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics).
Sources and attribution
- ICD-11 for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics, © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO.
- Names other than the official source titles: Anpheros translations and plain-language names, made with AI assistance and checked automatically; the source names are in English.
- Source: MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- ICD-10 codes and titles © World Health Organization. Source: WHO, International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (2019).
Anpheros Search catalog 2026.10.5, published 17 October 2026. About the data →
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In an emergency, call 112 (or your local emergency number). Do not delay seeking medical help because of something you read here.