Evidence for aggregation in oxalate stone formation: atomic force and low voltage scanning electron microscopy.

Purpose: The aim of this investigation was to differentiate between aggregation and crystal growth by studying the structure of oxalate stones at high spatial resolution using recently developed microscopy techniques.

Materials And Methods: Sections from 6 complete human oxalate stones and 4 stone fragments were prepared by ultramicrotomy and examined by both low voltage scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.

Results: The scanning electron microscopy showed lamellar structures up to 10 microns.