LAB- Microscopic Examination Flashcards
Brightfield microscope:
Contrast is obtained by…
lowering the condenser and
stopping down the iris diaphragm
Requires a special condenser and objective with phase rings – produces a halo effect and increases contrast
Phase-contrast microscope
-Used for examining lipid material
-Lipids and cholesterol have a Maltese-cross appearance
Polarized microscope
Provides a three-dimensional image showing very fine structural detail
Interference-contrast microscope
Stain that provides clear delineation of structure and contrasting colors of the nucleus and cytoplasm
Sternheimer-Malbin stain (crystal violet and safranin O)
Stains triglycerides and neutral fats orange-red
Lipid stains: Oil Red O and Sudan III
What is the Hansel stain? and what is it used for?
Methylene blue and eosin Y stain eosinophilic granules
Stains structures containing iron
Prussian blue stain
Casts and crystals are recorded as number per ____ power field
low (x100)
Cells are recorded as number per _____ power field
high (x400)
How many fields should be examined in each case?
10
Reaction of body tissues to injury?
-Capillaries dilate and plasma proteins “leak” into the
surrounding tissue spaces
-WBCs are mobilized to combat the injury and repair the damage
-Neutrophils, monocytes, lymphocytes, occ. Eosinophils, histocytes, and macrophages
Congested, dilated glomerular capillaries
release
red cells and protein into the urine
With bacterial infection in the kidney or bladder,
neutrophils are…
mobilized and excreted w/
bacteria in the urine
___________ appear when a transplanted kidney is rejected.
lymphocytes
What can cause increased numbers of epithelial cells from the tubules?
-infections
-diminished blood supply
-tubules being affected by drugs or chemicals
What distinguishes kidney disease from lower urinary tract disease?
urinary casts
urinary casts only form in the kidney _______ and _________.
tubules, collecting ducts
contents of normal urinary sediment includes:
RBCs (_____ per hpf)
WBCs (_____ per hpf) – mostly neutrophils
Epithelial cells
Squamous and transitional cells
Casts (Hyaline)
Mucus
Crystals
Artifacts
Spermatozoa
0-3 (7 micrometers)
0-8
Increased ______ in urine may be one of the first
clinical signs of malignancy of kidney or bladder
RBCs
*presence is clinically significant!
When RBCs are seen with RBC casts, the source of hematuria is _______.
renal
(Inflammatory diseases, acute glomerulonephritis,
pyelonephritis, hypertension, bleeding due to trauma,
stones or tumors, and use of anticoagulants)
Red blood cells act as ___________ because they are altered by the specific gravity.
osmometers
How can RBCs and yeast be differentiated?
Yeast are oval in shape and show budding
Can use Eosin dye (RBC – red, yeast- colorless)
Can use acetic acid (RBC – lyse, yeast – no change)
WBC are best preserved in what type of urine?
acidic
What does greater than 50 WBCs suggest?
acute inflammation of genitourinary tract – culture should be done
> 50 WBCs accompanied with
proteinuria suggests….
pyelonephritis
> 50 WBC accompanied WITHOUT
proteinuria suggests…
lower urinary tract
infection (cystitis, urethritis, and prostatitis)
Neutrophils are most common WBC seen - multi lobed nucleus (_____ µm)
10-14
What can be confused with renal tubular cells?
Neutrophils.
acetic acid clarifies nuclei
Degenerated neutrophils are called “glitter cells” and is seen with…
hypotonic urine, and pyelonephritis
What may be the first sign of kidney transplant rejection?
Lymphocytes (6 to 9 µm)
What do monocytes suggest?
tissue damage
accompanied by severe inflammation (20 to 40
µm)
specialized white cells
formed in the reticuloendothelial system
-May contain inclusion bodies such as bacteria or
epithelial cells
-Suggest inflammation, immune mechanisms, or
other host defense reactions
Phagocytic histocytes
-Squamous (pavement) epithelial cells (40 to 60 µm w/ N:C ratio of ____)
1:6
Where do squamous epithelial cells originate?
terminal portion of the urethra in men and women, and the vagina in women
How do squamous epithelial cells appear when stained?
pink or violet
Occurrence of squamous epithelial cells is __________, and may indicate vaginal
contamination due to improper specimen collection
common
How are squamous epithelial cells reported?
Report as rare, moderate, or many per lpf (only cell to
report on lpf)
What is the second major epithelial cells?
Transitional epithelial cells (20 to 40 µm w/ N:C ratio of
1:3)
Where are transitional cells located?
Line the renal pelvis and calices, ureters, bladder, and
two-thirds of the urethra
Polyhedral in shape, appear pear-shaped, or oval with one or more nuclei
transitional epithelial cells
transitional cells are the same size as renal tubular cells, but may become larger
due to _________.
swelling
How do transitional cells appear when stained?
cells show dk. Blue nuclei w/ pale blue cytoplasm
Transitional cells are found in normal urine, but in large numbers these cells indicate…
disease of the bladder or renal pelvis, or the use
of a catheter
Renal tubular epithelial cells (12 to 20 µm w/ N:C ratio of
____)
1:1
What is the most clinically significant epithelial cell?
Renal tubular
Where do renal tubular cells come from?
Originate from the epithelial lining of the nephron’s tubular portions
Polyhedral in shape w/ slightly granular cytoplasm
renal tubular epithelial cells
When stained, appear purple w/ orange-purple cytoplasm
renal tubular epithelial cells
What cell type can undergo fatty degeneration – oval fat bodies?
renal tubular epithelial cells
What can >2 RTEs indicate?
acute tubular necrosis,
glomerulonephritis, acute infection, renal toxicity, and
renal infection
-Lipid-containing RTE cells
-Usually seen in conjunction with free-floating fat
droplets
Oval Fat Bodies
How is identification of oval fat bodies confirmed?
w/ Sudan III or Oil Red
O stains (orange-red), and the use of polarized
microscopy (Maltese cross formation)
What are oval fat bodies associated with?
nephrotic syndrome, acute tubular necrosis, diabetes mellitus, trauma cases where
bone marrow is released from the long bones
What does the presence of cytomegalic inclusion bodies suggest?
cytomegalic inclusion
disease, Hodgkin’s disease, lymphosarcoma,
leukemia, and aplastic anemia
What is it called when renal tubular cells have viral
inclusions in the nucleus of these cells?
Cytomegalic inclusion bodies
What is referred to as “owl-eye” cells?
When Cytomegalic inclusion bodies are stained w/ eosin or Giemsa stain, these
inclusion bodies appear separated by a clear halo
How do tumor cells appear?
Appearance varies, but most are identified on the basis of distinct nuclear changes
-Nucleus is much larger than normal
Tumor cells readily accept ___________ stain.
Papanicolaou
Tumor cells are usually accompanied by…
hematuria
> _______ bacteria per ml indicates a urinary tract infection.
Counts between _______ and _________ need to be repeated.
100,000
10,000 and 100,000
A count of _________ bacteria usually signifies urine contaminated from the
urethra or perineum
<10,000
Very low counts occur in patients on antibiotic therapy
Large quantities of bacteria accompanied by WBCs
and/or white cell or mixed casts indicate the presence of…
acute pyelonephritis
yeast can be found in patients with…
-diabetes mellitus
-urinary tract infections
-also common contaminate from skin and hair yeast
Characteristics of yeast that differentiates it from RBCs?
-ovoid
-higher refractive index
-budding
-does not take on eosin stain
a blood fluke that may be seen in the urine
Schistosoma hematobium