Chapter 8 UA Sediment Microscopic Flashcards
When is a microscope used to analyze urine/blood
1) when ordered by a physician
2) when determined by laboratory protocol (specific patient population, and services)
3) when abnormal macro and chemical results are obtained (bloody/cloudy appearance, ph> 8, positive protein, leukocyte esterase, nitrite, blood, glucose)
CLIA’88 complexity of microscopic exam
1) Moderate
2) provider performed microscopy (physician, midlevel practitioner, or dentist)
What are hematopoietic cells?
1) RBCs - dysmorphic, biconcave disc
2) WBCs - neutrophils, eosinophils, lymphocytes, histiocytes, macrophages, glitter
Types of epithelial cells
1) transitional → pear shaped
2) squamous → square shaped
3) renal tubular (round) → oval fat bodies
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for RBCs seen in microscope
Physical - turbidity, red color
Chemical - + blood, + protein
Exceptions- number, hemolysis
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for WBCs seen in microscope
Physical - turbidity
Chemical - + protein, + nitrite, + LE
Exception - number, lysis
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for Epithelial cells seen in microscope
Physical - turbidity
Chemical - none
Exception - number
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for casts seen in microscope
Physical - none
Chemical - + protein
Exception - number
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for Bacteria seen in microscope
Physical - turbidity
Chemical - ph, + nitrite, leukocytes
Exceptions - number and type
Physical and chemical results and exceptions for Crystals seen in microscope
Physical - turbidity, color
Chemical - ph, + bilirubin
Exception - number and type
Papanicolaou stain - atypical cytoplasm, large nuclei
Normal range of RBCs
0-3 RBC/high power field
Normal range of WBCs
0-5 WBC/ high power field
Normal range of hyaline casts
0-2 hyaline casts/low power field
Diagnostic elements
Clumps of WBC, RBC, most casts, increased renal tubular cells (RTC), oval fat bodies, microorganisms, abn crystals
Less important findings
Most crystals, mucous and squamous epithelial cells
RBCs morphology
Biconcave disc depending on osmotic gradient (ghost, swollen, crenated
Micro or gross hematuria
Dysmorphic red blood cells
Fragmented red cells accompanied with protein
- Glomerular bleeding
Hypertonic
Too much solute
- cell shrinks
Hypotonic
Too much H2O
- cell enlarges
RBCs can be confused with
Yeast
-Acetic acid will lyse red cells
Fresh RBCs
Dysmorphic and ghost RBCs
- watery urine or lysed cells, very alkaline
Identify the RBCs, squamous epithelia’s cells, and transitional
Yellow round = RBCs
Big squares = squamous epithelial
Medium round in right corner = transitional
RBC identification difficulties
- Yeast: look for buds
- oil droplets: refractility
- air bubbles: refractility/ possibly different plane
- starch: refractive, polarizes
- reagent strip correlation
Air bubble
Oil droplets
Neutrophils - granular spheres - multilobed nucleus • 2% acetic acid • reddish purple with stain
What disease?
Disease: pyuria
- pyelonephritis
- Cystitis
- prostatitis
- urethritis
Eosinophils
- drug-induced interstitial nephritis
- renal transplant rejection
- big red/orangish granules
- must have dye to see
Hansel stain
Eosinophils
- percent per 100 to 500 cells
- > 1% significant
- concentrate sediment, centrifuge, or cytocentrifuge
Monocytes/mononuclear cells
-Renal transplant rejection and chronic inflammation
Identify epithelial cells: RBC, squamous, WBC, RTE, transitional
From left to right:
Squamous, RTE, WBC, transitional, RBC
Where are squamous epithelial cells found in the body?
Vagina, male and female urethra
Where are transitional epithelial cells found in the body?
Bladder, renal pelvis, calyces, ureters, upper male urethra
Where are renal tubular epithelial cells found in the body?
Renal tubules
Squamous epithelial cells
- large irregular, abundant cytoplasm, small prominent nucleus
- slough from the vagina and urethra
- normal finding seen more frequently in females
Transitional epithelial cells
Morphology: pear, spheric, or caudate (tails). Round central nucleus
When in large numbers or clumps = bladder cancer
Renal tubular epithelial cells
- round or oval, large prominent eccentric nucleus
Clinical significance: acute tubular necrosis, acute viral or bacterial infection, renal toxicity, glomerulonephritis
RTECs that have absorbed lipids
Oval fat body
- confirmed by fat stains and polarized light
Oval fat body
-Lipiduria: nephrotic syndrome
Where are casts formed in the nephron?
Distal convoluted tubule or the collecting duct
Factors that cause casts to form
- Acidity increased
- proteinuria
- stasis
- concentration increase
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of all casts
Appearance: variable
Chemical: pH acid, protein positive
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of RBC casts
Appearance: red, pink, non clear
Chemical: blood positive
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of WBC casts
Appearance: turbid to cloudy
Chemical: leukocyte esterase positive, nitrite variable
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of bilirubin casts
Appearance: Amber to brown
Chemical: bilirubin positive, urobilinogen positive
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of hemoglobin/myoglobin casts
Appearance: red to brown, clear
Chemical: blood positive
Macroscopic (appearance) and chemical correlation of fatty casts
Appearance: turbid to oily
Chemical: none
Hyaline cast
- Homogenous, transparent, colorless cylinder with parallel sides and rounded ends
- strenuous exercise
- pathology in large numbers
WBC cast
- transparent cylindrical matrix with embedded WBCs
- pyelonephritis or inflammatory renal disease
RBC cast
- transparent reddish-orange brown cylindrical matrix with embedded RBCs
- significance: glomerulonephritis, glomerular bleeding, strenuous exercise
Renal tubular cell cast
- transparent clinidical protein matrix with embedded RTE cells
- significance: renal tubular damage, acute nephritis, tubular necrosis
- pink photo = terminally sick
Granular cast
- transparent cylindrical matrix with course or fine embedded granules
- few seen after strenuous exercise
- increased seen in urine stasis of cellular casts with same significance
- deterioration, looks like fine granules
Waxy cast
- homogeneous, smooth, glassy opaque cylinder with cracked margins and broken off edges
- Extreme urinary stasis, indicating chronic renal failure
- cellular → granular → waxy
Fatty casts
- transparent cylinder filled with refractive fat droplets
- Maltese cross formation in polarized light
Fatty casts significance
- Nephrotic syndrome
- crush injuries
- toxic tubular necrosis
- diabetes mellitus
Pathologic and seen in liver diseases, inborn errors of metabolism, or renal damage from medications (iatrogenic)
Urinary crystals
- specific geometric forms or amorphous
- crystallurig is usually clinically insignificant and non pathogenic
How are crystals formed?
- Increased solute formation
- decreased urine flow
- acidic pH
- decrease in temperature after voiding
Where are most uric acid crystals seen?
Leukemia, gout, lesch-nhyan
Amorphous uric acid crystals
- acid pH yellow brown
Macroscopic uric acid crystals
- pinkish sediment
Calcium oxalate: dihydrate
- colorless envelope shape
- associated with foods high in oxalic acid
- non pathogenic
- tomatoes, asparagus (odor)
- acid /neutral pH
Calcium oxalate: monohydrate
- oval dumbbell shape
- can be seen in ethylene glycol poisoning
- significant
- acid/neutral pH
Phosphates: amorphous
- granular, white sediment
- not pathogenic, can be from refrigeration
- alk/neutral pH
Phosphates: triple phosphates
- coffin lids
- alk/neutral pH
Ammonium biurate
- normal alk pH
- yellow-brown “thorny apples” seen in old urine
- accumulation of ammonia
Calcium carbonate
- normal alk pH
- bow ties and dumbbell forms gas from acetic acid
Cystine
- abnormal crystals
- Acid pH
- colorless hexagonal plates seen in cystinuria, a metabolic disorder resulting in renal stones
Chlesterol
- abnormal crystal
- acid pH
- notched plates seen in Lipiduria produced in nephrotic syndrome
Leucine
- abnormal crystal associated with liver disease
- spheres with concentric striations
Tyrosine
- abnormal crystal associated with liver disease
- needles forming clumps
Bilirubin
- abnormal crystals associated with liver disease
- reddish brown, clumped, needles
Sulfa
- Iatrogenic (medication) crystals
Ampicillin
- Iatrogenic (medication) crystals
Bacteria
Fungi
Enterobius vermicularis (pinworm) - parasite
Schistosoma haematobium
- parasite
Trichomonas vaginalis
-Parasite
Starch/powder
- artifact
Fiber