PROPOSE: URINARY MINERAL EVALUATION IN THE RENAL STONE FORMERS IS A CORNERSTONE IN THEIR ASSESSMENT. HOWEVER 12 HOURS VS. 24 HOURS SAMPLING ARE CONTROVERSIAL. MEANWHILE PHYSIOLOGIC DIURNAL VARIATION OF URINE METABOLITES EXCRETION IN CALCIUM STONE FORMERS ARE UNCLEAR. WE ASSESSED FOR BOTH PURPOSES. METHODS & MATERIALS: 27 PATIENTS (19-73 YEARS OLD, MEAN=44.3) INCLUDING 10 WOMEN & 17 MEN (37% & 63% RESPECTIVELY) WHO WERE ACTIVE CALCIUM STONE FORMER & UNDERWENT SURGICAL INTERVENTION THROUGH THE LAST YEAR 2002 WERE SELECTED. IMAGING & SERUM CHEMISTRIES FOR EXCLUSIN OF ANY MAJOR SYSTEMIC OR RENAL ABNORMALITIES WERE PERFORMED. SEQUENTIAL DAILY & NIGHTLY 12 HOURS ASSESSMENT OF TEN URINE PARAMETERS WERE EVALUATED CHEMICALLY. STATISTICAL METHODS WERE K-S TEST & EITHER PAIRED T OR WILCOXON TESTS. RESULTS: MEAN DIURNAL VS. NOCTURNAL URINE EXCRETION OF THOSE PARAMETERS WERE RESPECTIVELY: VOLUME= (899, 879 ML), CREATININE= (624, 737 MG), URIC ACID= (355, 385 MG), CALCIUM= (100, 126 MG), PHOSPHROUS= (315, 386 MG), CITRATE=(219, 157 MG), MAGNESIUM= (46, 53 MG), OXALATE= (11.8, 11.8 MG), SODIUM= (133, 138 MG), POTASSIUM= (35, 35 MG). URINE NOCTURNAL OUTPUT OF CREATININE, CALCIUM, PHOSPHOROUS & MAGNESIUM WERE SIGNIFCANTLY (P<0.05) GREATER THAN DAILY MEASURES WHILE FOR CITRATE WAS CONTRARY (P, 0.001). DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: VARIABILITIES OF DAILY URINE METABOLITES IN IRANIAN CALCIUM RENAL STONE FORMERS ARE SO SCATTERED THAT PART-DAILY EVALUATION IS NOT RECOMMENDED. NORMAL RANGES INCLUSION OF MEASURES IN THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WERE NOTICABLE, BESIDES LOW VALUES OF THE CALCIUM & CITRATE BUT HIGH VALUES OF THE URIC ACID.