Hematuria
Dr MuzammilKoshish
DCH, DNB Resident,
JLN Hospital and Research
Centre, Bhillai
Red or brown color change of urine
Intermittent red or brown color urine a/wvariety of clinical setting
Medications (phenazopyridine, microbid, NSAID)
Ingestion of beets or certain dyes
Metabolities
Myoglobinuriaor hemoglobinuria
Hematuria
Work up
Centrifuge the specimen,
Supernatant be tested for
heme(hemoglobin or myoglobin) with a urine dipstick.
APPROACH TO A PATIENT WITH RED OR BROWN COLOURED URINE
Medications Food dyes Metabolities
Doxorubicin Beets (in selected patients)Bile pigments
Chloroquine Blackberries Homogentisic acid
Desferoxamine Food coloring Melanin
Ibuprofen Methemoglobin
Iron sorbitol Porphyrin
Nitrofurantoin Tyrosinosis
Phenazopyridine Urates
Phenolphthalein
Rifampin
CAUSES OF HEME-NEGATIVE RED URINE
The evaluationshould address the following three
questions
1. Are there any clues from the history or physical
examination that suggest a particular diagnosis?
2. Does the hematuria represent glomerular or
extraglomerular bleeding?
3. Is the hematuria transient or persistent?
Urethral: First 10-15 mL
Bladder: Final 10-30 mL
Upper urinary tract: Throughout
a three-tube test may also help to
locate the source of bleeding in
selected cases.
Physical Exam
??????Vital sign: BP, T, HR
Skin: Rashes, evidence of trauma, bruising
??????Abdomen for masses, tenderness (flank,
suprapubics), bruits
??????CVS: irregular irregular
??????Edema (especially periorbital)
??????Joint erythema, swelling, warmth
??????Paleness, jaundice
??????Careful inspection of external genitalia
•If BP is elevated, further evaluation is immediately warranted
1. Concurrent pyuria and dysuria, indicate UTI.
2. A recent URI, raise the possibility of either post infectious
glomerulonephritis or IgA nephropathy
3. A positive family history of renal disease give suspicion of hereditary
nephritis, polycystic kidney disease, or sickle cell disease.
4. Unilateral flank pain radiating to the groin, suggesting ureteral
obstruction. Flank pain that is persistent or recurrent can also occur in
the rare loin pain hematuria syndrome.
Clues from the history and physical examination
that point toward a specific diagnosis
5. Recent vigorous exercise or trauma
6. History of a bleeding disorder or bleeding from multiple sites due to
coagulopathy.
7. Medications that might cause nephritis (usually with other findings,
typically with renal insufficiency).
8. All should be screened for sickle cell trait or disease, which can lead to
papillary necrosis and hematuria.
9.Sterile pyuria with hematuria, which may occur with renal tuberculosis,
analgesic nephropathy and other interstitial diseases.
Clues from the history and physical examination that
point toward a specific diagnosis
Rare cause of Microscopic Hematuria
Arteriovenous malformations and
fistulas
Nutcracker syndrome
Loin pain-hematuria syndrome
Arteriovenousmalformations and fistulas—An AV
malformation (AVM) or fistula of the urologic tract may be either congenital or
acquired. The primary presenting sign is gross hematuria, but high-output heart
failure and hypertension also may be seen . The latter is presumably due to
activation of the renin-angiotensinsystem resulting from ischemia distal to the
AVM
Nutcracker syndrome—The nutcracker syndrome refers to compression
of the left renal vein between the aorta and proximal superior mesenteric artery.
Nutcracker syndrome can cause both microscopic and gross hematuria, primarily in
children (but also adults) in Asia . The hematuriais usually asymptomatic but may be
associated with left flank pain. Nutcracker syndrome has also been associated with
orthostatic proteinuria.
Loin pain-hematuriasyndrome—The loin pain-hematuriasyndrome
is a poorly defined disorder characterized by loin or flank pain that is often severe
and unrelenting, and hematuriawith dysmorphicred cell features suggesting a
glomerularorigin. Affected patients usually have normal kidney function.
ExtraglomerularGlomerular
Color (if
macroscopic)
Red or pink Red, smoky brown, or "Coca-Cola"
Clots May be present Absent
Proteinuria <500 mg/day May be >500 mg/day
RBC morphology Normal Dysmorphic
RBC casts Absent May be present
ExtraglomerularvsGlomerular
FIGURE 2. Dysmorphic erythrocytes from a urine specimen. These cells suggest a
glomerular cause of microscopic hematuria. (phase contrast microscopy, 3 100)
Dysmorphic erythrocytes are characterized by an irregular outer cell membrane and
suggest hematuria of glomerular origin.
Red blood cell casts are also associated with a glomerular cause of hematuria.
Transient or persistent hematuria
Transient hematuria
Transient microscopic hematuriais a common problem in
adults
Fever, infection, trauma, and exercise are potential causes
It is reasonable to repeat an abnormal urinalysis in a few
days
When persistent hematuria is essentially the only manifestation of glomerular
disease, one of three disorders is most likely
IgA nephropathy, in which there is often gross hematuria, and sometimes a
positive family history but without any clear pattern of autosomal inheritance
Alport syndrome (hereditary nephritis), in which gross hematuria can occur
in association with a positive family history of renal failure, and sometimes
deafness or corneal abnormalities.
Thin basement membrane nephropathy (also called thin basement
membrane disease or benign familial hematuria), in which gross hematuria is
unusual and the family history may be positive (with an autosomal dominant
pattern of inheritance) for microscopic hematuria but not for renal failure .
Persistent hematuria
Persistent hematuria
Underlying malignancy is greater in patients with persistent hematuria in
whom there is no obvious cause from the history
The primary underlying cancers are bladder, renal, and, much less
often, prostate
Laboratory Tests (initial work up)
•UA and microscopy to determine the number and morphology of
RBC, crystal and casts
•Consider urine Cx
•CBC, PT, INR, electrolytes, kidney function
•Serum chemistries and serologic studies for glomerular causes of
hematuria as directed by the medical history
•Repeat UA in a few days
Further urologic evaluation is warranted if more than five
RBC/phf are found on at least two of three properly
collected urine specimens or if high-grade microscopic
hematuria (more than 100 red blood cells per high-power
field) is found on a single urinalysis.
17
Further Work up
•Glomerularcauses:
Consider a refer to nephrology for further
evaluation and possible renal biopsy
A biopsy is not usually performed for isolated
glomerular hematuria (i.e., no proteinuria or renal
insufficiency,) since there is no specific therapy for
these conditions
However, biopsy should be considered if there is
evidence of progressive disease as manifested by an
elevation in the plasma creatinine concentration,
increasing protein excretion, or an otherwise
unexplained rise in blood pressure, even when the
values remain within the normal range
Renal Biopsy
Further Work up
•Non-glomerular causes:
CT, renal US, and/or IVP: to search for lesions in the
kidney, collecting system, ureters, and bladder
Consider a referral to urology for cystoscopy
Test Advantages Disadvantages
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
Excellent visualization of the
kidney, collecting system, and
ureter
May miss bladder lesions; can
cause nephrotoxicity,
idiosyncratic reactions (1/10,000)
Cystoscopy
Best way to examine the bladder,
which is not as well visualized by
IVP or ultrasound
Invasive, uncomfortable and
expensive
Ultrasound
If of good quality, as sensitive as
IVP for renal lesions, with less
morbidity and cost
Less sensitive than IVP for ureter
and bladder
Retrograde pyelography
The best test for examing the
ureters, can be combined with
cystoscopy
Invasive, not useful for
examining other parts of the
urinary collecting system
Urinary cytology
Sensitivity 67 percent, specificity
96 percent for uroepithelial
cancer
Useful only for cancer, mainly of
the bladder
CT scan, DTPA, DMSA
Excellent for examining the
renal parenchyma and
functioning
Expensive
Angiography
Useful for gross hematuria when
other tests have not revealed the
cause; the only good test for
vascular malformations
Invasive, expensive
RADIOLOGIC AND OTHER TESTS FOR THE EVALUATION OF HEMATURIA
SCREENING FOR HEMATURIA
Not recommended
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