Hematuria

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Hematuria
Classification and external resources
ICD-10 N02., R31.
ICD-9 599.7, 791.2
DiseasesDB 19635
eMedicine ped/951 
MeSH D006417

In medicine, hematuria (or "haematuria") is the presence of red blood cells (erythrocytes) in the urine. It is a sign that there is a kidney stone or a tumor in the ureter, urinary bladder, prostate, or urethra. kidneys and the urinary tract, ranging from trivial to lethal. If white blood cells are found in addition to red blood cells, then it is a signal of urinary tract infection.

Occasionally "hemoglobinuria" is used synonymously, although more precisely it refers only to hemoglobin in the urine.

Contents

[edit] Types

Red discolouration of the urine can have various causes:

[edit] Analysis

A patient will be asked a number of questions:

  • Have you passed any blood clots?
  • Has a kidney stone been passed (noise in toilet bowl)?
  • Is the red colour mixed in completely, or does the colour change during an episode of urination?
  • Does it occur only after getting up?
  • Have you recently had a sore throat?

[edit] Diagnosis

Often, the diagnosis is made on the basis of the medical history and some blood tests—especially in young people in whom the risk of malignancy is negligible and the symptoms are generally self-limited.

Ultrasound investigation of the renal tract is often used to distinguish between various sources of bleeding. X-rays can be used to identify kidney stones, although CT scanning is more precise.

In older patients, cystoscopy with biopsy of suspected lesions is often employed to investigate for bladder cancer.

[edit] Causes

Common causes of macroscopic hematuria/ haematuria (i.e. blood visible in the urine) include:

[edit] References