Red blood cells (RBCs) in the urine are normally 7-8 µm in diameter, circular or slightly oval and biconcave in appearance. They may appear crenated, with symmetric spiked membrane contour in hypertonic urine, or spherical, with near loss…
Urine acanthocytes are a distinct type of dysmorphic erythrocytes that can be found during microscopic examination of the urinary sediment. Their unique characteristics make them rather pathognomonic of hematuria that originates from a glomerular disease, i.e., glomerular hematuria…
The following few posts are a summary of tick borne illnesses that can cause renal failure and/or electrolyte problems. Babesiosis First identified on Nantucket Island in 1969 and was initially know as Nantucket fever. Endemic areas. CDC map….
All to often now doctors in well-resourced hospitals rely on high tech, expensive and sometimes invasive tests to make a diagnosis. One of the most basic and cheapest tools we have at our disposal is the bedside urine…
Recently at our biopsy conference we had the case of a healthy middle aged man presented who had come to medical attention with episodes of painless gross hematuria. He had consistent rbcs on UAs, normal renal imaging, a…
We have had a rush of patients with isolated hematuria in my clinic recently. The question that occupies so much precious time of the nephrologist reared it’s head……. ‘what are the indications for a renal biopsy’. Isolated persistent…
