Clinical history and physical examination Imaging studies Some stone types (mainly those with substantial calcium content) can be detected on X-ray and CT scan Many stone types can be detected by ultrasound Factors contributing to stone formation (as in #Etiology) are often tested: Laboratory testing can give levels of relevant substances in blood or urine Some stones can be directly recovered (at surgery, or when they leave the body spontaneously) and sent to a laboratory for analysis of content