Randall's plaque as the origin of idiopathic calcium oxalate stone formation: an update

The majority of idiopathic calcium oxalate kidney stones form on the Randall's plaque, a subepithelial calcium phosphate plaque at the renal papilla. The formation mechanisms of the Ran-dall's plaque and associated calcium oxalate stones remain incompletely understood. This article pro-vides an historical overview of the research performed on this topic, describes the current epidemi-ological trends of Randall's plaque-associated kidney stone formation and reviews the suggested for-mation mechanisms of Randall's plaque and associated calcium oxalate stones. Finally, this overview highlights the recent advances made on the subject, including the development of an animal model.