Hyaline Casts in Urine: Normal, High Levels, Dehydration, and Kidney Meaning
Hyaline casts are clear, nearly transparent protein casts that form inside kidney tubules. Unlike red blood cell, white blood cell, or epithelial casts, hyaline...
Leucine Crystals in Urine: Liver Disease, Metabolic Disorders, and Meaning
Leucine crystals are rare abnormal urine crystals that appear as yellow-brown, round or spherical structures with concentric rings and radial striations. They are usually...
Mixed Cellular Casts in Urine: Kidney Disease, Inflammation, and Microscopy Meaning
Mixed cellular casts are urinary casts that contain more than one type of cell or a mixture of cells and degenerating debris. Because casts...
Mucus Threads in Urine: Normal Finding, High Levels, Infection, and Meaning
Mucus threads in urine are usually a minor microscopy finding, and a small amount can be normal. The urinary tract makes mucus as part...
Parasites in Urine Microscopy: Abnormal Findings, Schistosoma, Trichomonas, and Meaning
A confirmed parasite in urine is an abnormal finding, but not every object that looks parasitic under a microscope represents a true urinary infection....
Red Blood Cell Casts in Urine: Glomerulonephritis, Kidney Inflammation, and Hematuria
Red blood cell casts in urine are an important sign that bleeding is occurring inside the kidney, usually at the level of the glomeruli....
Red Blood Cells in Urine Test: Hematuria, Causes, Microscopy, and Follow-Up
Red blood cells in urine mean that blood has entered the urinary tract somewhere between the kidneys and the urethra. The finding is called...
Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells in Urine: Kidney Tubule Injury and Meaning
Renal tubular epithelial cells in urine can be an important sign of injury to the kidney tubules. These cells normally line the nephron, where...
Sperm in Urine Test: Retrograde Ejaculation, Sample Finding, and Meaning
Sperm can sometimes be seen in urine without indicating disease. After ejaculation, a small amount of semen may remain in the urethra and wash...
Struvite Crystals in Urine: UTI Stones, Alkaline Urine, and Infection Risk
Struvite crystals in urine are magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals that often form in alkaline urine. Their most important association is with urinary infections caused...
Triple Phosphate Crystals in Urine: Struvite Crystals, UTI, and Alkaline Urine
Triple phosphate crystals are usually another name for struvite, a magnesium ammonium phosphate crystal that forms most readily in alkaline urine. On urine microscopy,...
Tyrosine Crystals in Urine: Liver Disease, Metabolic Disorders, and Meaning
Tyrosine crystals are a rare and abnormal urine microscopy finding. They usually appear as very fine needles arranged in bundles, sheaves, or rosettes and...
Uric Acid Crystals in Urine: Gout, Kidney Stones, Acidic Urine, and Meaning
Uric acid crystals in urine are most often a sign that the urine is acidic enough for uric acid to come out of solution....
Urine Microscopy for Kidney Disease: Casts, Cells, Crystals, and Sediment Findings
Urine microscopy can reveal kidney injury that a dipstick or blood test cannot fully explain. After a urine sample is concentrated and examined under...
Urine Microscopy Test: Cells, Casts, Crystals, Bacteria, and Sediment Findings
A urine microscopy test examines the solid particles in urine after a sample is collected and prepared for microscopic analysis. It can show red...
Urine Sediment Test: Microscopic Findings, Kidney Disease, Infection, and Meaning
A urine sediment test examines the cells, casts, crystals, microorganisms, and other particles that settle out of urine. It is one of the most...