Microscopic Examination of Urine Flashcards
What are the nonpathological causes of finding RBCs in urine?
● Strenuous exercise
● Menstrual contamination
What are the pathological clinical significance of finding RBCs in urine? State atleast three
● Hematuria
●Glomerulonephritis
● Renal calculi Malignancy
● Vascular injury within the genitourinary tract
In a hypotonic urine, RBCs appear?
Ghost cells
In a hypertonic urine, RBCs appear?
Crenated
Describe the appearance of a RBC
Biconcave,
anucleate discs , and 7 μm in
diameter
In a glomerular membrane damage, RBCs appear?
Dsymorphic
What are the sources of identification error of RBCs
- Yeast cells
- Oil droplets
- Air bubbles
Reporting for microscopic RBCs:
Average number per 10 HPFS
Complete urinalysis
correlations of RBCs
Reagent strip blood reaction
What is the normal value of RBCs in urine?
0-2/HPF
These are larger than RBCs, measuring an average of about
12 mm in diameter
WBCs
The predominant WBC found in the urine sediment is:
Neutrophil
In a hypotonic urine, WBCs appear as?
Glitter cells
What are the sources of identification error of WBCs
Renal tubular epithelial cells
Describe the appearance of WBCs
● Non-nucleated biconcave disks
● Larger than RBCs, an average of about 12 mm in diameter
● Granulated, multilobed neutrophils
● Glitter cells in hypotonic urine
● Mononuclear cells with abundant cytoplasm
What are the clinical significance of finding WBCs (above normal values) in urine?
● Pyelonephritis
● Cystitis
● Prostatitis
● Urethritis
● Glomerulonephritis
● Lupus erythematosus
● Interstitial nephritis
● Tumors
Neutrophils lyse rapidly in __________ urine and begin to lose nuclear detail.
dilute alkaline
What is the possible non pathologic significance of finding WBCs in urine?
Glitter cells
The presence of urinary ______ is primarily associated
with drug-induced interstitial nephritis
eosinophils
Reporting for microscopic WBCs:
Average number per 10 hpfs
Complete urinalysis correlations of WBCs
- Leukocyte esterase
- Nitrite
- Specific gravity
- pH
Describe the appearance of a squamous epithelial cell
Largest cells in the sediment with abundant, irregular cytoplasm and prominent nuclei
Reporting for squamous epithelial cells in urine:
Rare, few, moderate, or many per LPF
Describe the appearance of transitional cells
Spherical, polyhedral, or caudate
with centrally located
nucleus
Reporting for transitional cells in urine:
Rare, few, moderate, or many per HPF
Describe the appearance of RTE cells
Rectangular, colomnar, round, oval or cuboidal with an eccentric nucleus
Reporting for RTE cells in urine:
Average number per 10 HPFs
Describe the appearance of oval fat bodies
Highly refractile RTE cells
Reporting for oval fat bodies in urine:
Average number per HPF
It is the most clinically significant of the epithelial cells
RTE cells
What is the clinical significance of finding squamous epithelial cells (above the normal values) in urine?
- Clue cells (indicative of vaginal infection by Gardnerelia vaginalis)
What are the clinical significance of finding RTE cells in urine?
- Tubular necrosis
- Glomerular disorders
- Severe tubular injury with basement membrane disruption
- Salicylate poisoning
What is the clinical significane of finding transitional epithelial cells in urine?
Malignancy or viral infection
Decribe the appearance of bacteria in urine
Small spherical and rod-shaped
structures
Reporting of bacteria in urine:
Few, moderate, or many per HPF (the presence of WBCs may
be required)
It appears as small, oval, refractile structures with buds and/or mycelia
Yeast
Reporting of yeast in urine:
Rare, few, moderate, or many per HPF (the presence of WBCs may be required)
It appears pear-shaped, motile, flagellated
Trichomonas
Reporting of Trichomonas in urine:
Rare, few, moderate, or many per HPF
It appears as single or clumped threads with a low refractive index
Mucus
Reporting of mucus in urine:
Rare, few, moderate, or many per LPF
These structures are reported as rare, few, moderate, or many per HPF
- Bacteria
- Yeast
- Trichomonas
- Crystals
(mucus is reported per LPF)
Casts are formed in which parts of the kidney nephron?
- Lumen of the distal convoluted tubule
- collecting ducts
Why should casts be observed under subdued light?
Because cast matrix has a low refractive index
Reporting casts in urine:
Average number per 10 LPFs
What is the major constituent of casts?
uromodulin
(other protiens present are albumin and immunoglobulins)
The presence of urinary casts is termed:
cylindruria
Normal values of hyaline cast in urine
0-2 per LPF