Urinalysis Tidbits
Dec 31, 2015
Stains
• Sternheimer-Malbin
Crystal Violet and Safranin O
• Lipid Stains• Oil Red O and Sudan III • Stain Trigs and Neutral Fat but Not Cholesterol
Cholesterol polarizes• Cholesterol Drops Maltese Cross • Cholesterol Crystals Birefringence
Microscopic Sediment Prep
• 12 mL
• Spin 5 min at 400 RCF
• RCF Relative Centrifugal Force
• RCF = 1.118 x 10-5 x radius in cm x RPM2
• Examine a Min of 10 Fields Low and High
Red Blood Cells
• Pale red
• Ghost Cells Dilute or Alkaline Lyse
• Hypertonic Conditions Crenate
• 2% Acetic Acid Lyse
• Yeast and Calcium Oxalate do not disappear with 2 % acidic acid
WBC
• Granular and often visible nucleus
• Hypertonic will shrink
• Hypotonic “Glitter” cells associated with Infection and Irritation & Pyelonephritis
• Glitter cells show Brownian movement
Squamous Cells
• Large, flat irregular shape• Small nucleus• Urethra and contamination• Not considered Clinically Sig
Clue Cell
• Vaginal Infection w Gardnerella vaginalis• Squamous cell covered w coccobacillus• Covers most of cell and extends beyond edges• Vaginal wet prep but may appear in urine
Renal Tubular Cell
• Slightly larger than WBC• Eccentric nucleus• Increased numbers Tubular damage• Pyelonephritis, Acute Tubular necrosis
Hemosiderin
• Not birefringent unlike urates or phosphates
• Prussian blue dye stains iron of Hb blue
Transitional Cells
• Smaller than Squamous• Several Forms Caudate, spherical and polyhedral• Central nucleus• Renal Pelvis, calyses, ureters and bladder• Not Clinical Sig catheterization
Schistosoma hematobium
• World wide problem Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran Africa
• US lacks the snail intermediate host• Trematode Terminal spine
UA Web Sites
• Comprehensive Review
• http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0315/p1153.html