Crystals Flashcards
Crystalluria
Crystals in the urine
How do crystals form
As a result of elements being secreted by normal renal activity
How do you report Crystals in the urinalysis?
1+-4+
Few, moderate, many
Type
Crystalluria may lead to the formation of what?
Urinary calculi
Uroliths or stones
Crystal formation depends on what four things?
- Urine pH
- Temperature
- Concentration
- Solubility of the elements
Urolithiasis
Presence of stones anywhere in the renal tract
Struvite crystals
Magnesium Ammonium Phosphate or Triple phosphate
What pH does struvite crystals usually form in?
Alkaline to slightly acidic
What do struvite crystals look like
8 sided prisms with tapered ends
“Coffin lid”
Fern leaf
Can struvite crystals be seen in healthy dogs, cats, ruminants?
Yes
What are the two types of Calcium Oxalate stones?
Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate
Calcium Oxalate Monohydrate
What do Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate stones look like?
Small squares with an “X” across the crystal resembling the back of an envelope
What kind of urine are Calcium Oxalate Dihydrate found in?
Acidic to neutral urine
What kind of species are calcium oxalate dihydrate found in
Common in small dogs and horses
What does calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals look like?
Dumbbell shaped
Pointed at each end (picket fence)
What toxicity are calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals present in?
Ethylene glycol poisoning
Anti-freeze poisoning
What shape is uric acid?
A variety shapes
Usually diamond or rhomboid
What color is uric acid?
Yellow or yellow-brown
What breed of dogs are uric acid stones common in?
Dalmatians
Why do dalmatians produce uric acid?
They do not convert uric acid into urea
What species are calcium carbonate crystals common in?
Horses and rabbits
What do calcium carbonate crystals look like?
Round with lines radiating from the center-Sunbursts
Large granular masses
Dumbbell shaped
Are calcium carbonate crystals clinically significant?
No. They can form into stones
What crystals associated with Liver disease
Ammonium biurate Bilirubin crystals Leucine Tyrosine Cystine Melamine toxicity crystals
What do cystine crystals look like?
Flat
Six-sided
Colorless
What do cystine crystals indicate?
Renal tubular dysfunction
Cystine urolithiasis
What pH does calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals form in?
Neutral to acidic urine
Are Amorphous crystalline Material clinically significant?
No.
What pH of urine does Amorphous urates form in?
Acidic urine
What pH of urine does Amorphous phosphates form in?
Alkaline urine
What pH of urine does Calcium carbonate crystals form in?
Alkaline to neutral urine
