421 kidney stones removed from 60-year old female

Thai doctors removed 421 kidney stones, believed to be a medical record, from a 60-year-old woman who had been complaining of stomach cramps for years, media reports said Friday.

Dr Wattana Parisri, director of the Somdej Phraupharajthabo Hospital in Nong Khai province, 500 km northeast of Bangkok, claimed doctors on his staff had surgically removed the stones from the woman, said Thai Rath newspaper.

The patient, whose name was not disclosed, had sought treatment at several clinics for severe stomach pains and urinary complaints but had been wrongly diagnosed as suffering from ulcers prior to being subject to an ultrasound test at the hospital, Wattana told the Thai Rath.

"This might be the most kidney stones found in one person in medical records," remarked Wattana.

The doctor noted that kidney stones were a common complaint in Northeast Thailand, caused by the diet or genetic proclivity.