This “Atlas”: Microscopic Urine Examination compiled in 2026 by Bert Grijsen, is freely accessible to everyone, meets the needs of those interested in correctly performing and evaluating microscopic urine examinations. It contains microscopic images of the most common…
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…
The thickness of the fluid layer examined by urinary microscopy is determined by the volume of resuspended sediment put on the glass slide and the size of the coverslip. Using 13-15ul of sediment and coverslips of 18x18mm2 as…
A 50 y/o woman presents with symptoms of fatigue and malaise for 1-2 weeks. Medications include ACE, HCTZ, and a multivitamin daily. She had a UTI 6 weeks ago that did not improve after a 5 day course…
Urinary sediment microscopy is a diagnostic technique designed to acquire 2-dimensional images of structures present in a slide. However, 2-dimensional views may lack sufficient contrast to allow for optimal visualization. One way to enhance the images and create…
“What am I looking at? ” Phagocytosis and particle internalization by cells in the urine is not common, but of clinical interest when it occurs.Phagocytosis/particle internalization can be observed in urine microscopy by the usual culprits: professional phagocytes…
One of the welcome side-effects of doing your own urine sediment examination is having easy access to a microscope and some basic lab equipment. This allows you to examine all sorts of things besides urine (Fig. 1). For…
Urinary crystals are a frequent finding and there are several different types that can be observed under the microscope. We’ve discussed some of these crystals in a previous Urine Sediment of the Month post. Unlike these more common…
Identification of crystals and casts by microscopic examination of the urinary sediment is of clinical importance. Specifics about crystals and casts have been previously covered in preceding posts of this blog. Interestingly, crystalline structures can occasionally be embedded…
The golden days of urine are here to stay, and “liquid biopsy” is not just for NephMadness. Discolorations of urine are common and never fail to startle both patients and professionals. When analyzing urine coloration, it is helpful…
