An acute pain in the kidney area caused by blockage during the passage of a kidney stone is called what?

• A. Nephropyrosis
• B. Renal colic
• C. Nephroptosis
• D. Glomerulonephritis

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is recognizing renal colic as the classic pain from ureteral obstruction by a kidney stone. When a stone blocks the ureter during passage, the renal pelvis and ureter distend and undergo smooth muscle spasms, producing sudden, severe, intermittent flank pain that often radiates to the groin and is accompanied by nausea or sweating. This intense colicky pain is what clinicians call renal colic. The other terms describe different kidney problems: nephropyrosis is pus in the kidney due to infection, nephroptosis is downward displacement of the kidney, and glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the kidney’s glomeruli.