Urinalysis Tidbits

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

Microscopy

• Bright field

• Polarized

• Phase Contrast

• Interference

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

Epithelial Cells

• Squamous Contamination

• Transitional Bladder

• Renal Tubular Renal Tubules

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

Starch granules

• Source Powdered Gloves

• Maltese cross Polarized light

• Look like a pouch

Crab

• Pediculosis pubis

Pinworm

• Enterobius vermicularis

• Ova one side flat

• Adult male

Schistosoma hematobium

• World wide problem Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran Africa

• US lacks the snail intermediate host• Trematode Terminal spine

Triple Phosphate

• Tri Phosphate going into solution

RTE

Mite

• Adult mite• Scabies• Smaller than crab

UA Web Sites

• Comprehensive Review

• http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0315/p1153.html