What are cellular casts in urine?
What are cellular casts in urine?
Urinary casts are tiny tube-shaped particles that can be found when urine is examined under the microscope during a test called urinalysis . Urinary casts may be made up of white blood cells, red blood cells, kidney cells, or substances such as protein or fat.
What does the presence of casts in urine mean?
If a cast is seen in the urine, kidney disease or in- volvement exists; the presence of casts indicates kidney (renal) disease rather than lower urinary tract disease. All casts have a matrix of Tamm- Horsfall mucoprotein to which other pro- teins or elements may be added.
What does hyaline cast mean?
Casts are clusters of urinary sediment elements (red blood cells, white blood cells, fat bodies, etc.) wrapped in a protein matrix. Cast formation necessarily occurs in the kidney tubules, and the the contents of the casts indicate the nature of the abnormalities occurring in the kidney itself.
What are the different types of casts in urine?
Urinary Casts
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Plain casts | |
| Hyaline | Glycoprotein matrix consisting mainly of Tamm-Horsfall protein secreted by tubules |
| Waxy | Glycoprotein matrix with degraded protein Formed in atrophic tubules Highly refractile with waxy appearance |
| Casts with inclusions |
Can you see cellular casts in urine?
If a cellular cast is seen in the urine, it is known that the cells were present in the kidney (nephron). Although causes and severity differ, the presence of cellular casts indi- cates a disease process.
Are casts in urine bad?
Normally, the presence of casts in the urine is considered to be an unusual finding. However, small amounts of hyaline casts (between 0–2 casts per low power field of the microscope) may be detected in the urine of healthy individuals without necessarily indicating a serious condition like kidney disease.
Should I worry about hyaline casts?
Are hyaline casts dangerous? Hyaline casts are typically not considered a dangerous finding. Unlike hyaline casts, other types of urinary casts are generally associated with kidney disease. For instance, epithelial cell casts reflect severe damage and death of the tubule cells, which is also known as tubular necrosis.
How do I read my urine test results?
Normal values are as follows:
- Color – Yellow (light/pale to dark/deep amber)
- Clarity/turbidity – Clear or cloudy.
- pH – 4.5-8.
- Specific gravity – 1.005-1.025.
- Glucose – ≤130 mg/d.
- Ketones – None.
- Nitrites – Negative.
- Leukocyte esterase – Negative.
Can you see casts in urine?
What does it mean if you test positive for leukocytes in your urine?
White blood cells (WBCs) An increased number of WBCs seen in the urine under a microscope and/or positive test for leukocyte esterase may indicate an infection or inflammation somewhere in the urinary tract. If also seen with bacteria (see below), they indicate a likely urinary tract infection.
Why do I have white blood cells in my urine but no infection?
Sterile pyuria It is possible to have white blood cells in the urine without a bacterial infection. Sterile pyuria refers to the persistent presence of white blood cells in the urine when no bacteria are found to be present by laboratory examination.
What type of cast is most commonly found in urine?
The most common type of cast, hyaline casts are solidified Tamm–Horsfall mucoprotein secreted from the tubular epithelial cells of individual nephrons.
What kind of cells are in a mixed cellular cast?
Mixed cellular casts may contain RBCs, WBCs, and renal tubular epithelial cells. These casts are associated with mixed tubular and interstitial renal diseases. RBC casts are formed if the glomerular basement membrane is damaged. They may be found in acute and focal glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, and trauma.
What are the features of a mixed acellular cast?
Mixed acellular casts can be grossly divided in those containing elements of hyaline and granular casts (Figures 1 and 3), those containing features of more than one type of granular cast (Figures 2 and 3) and those containing elements of granular and waxy casts (Figure 2).
Who are the actors in the movie Cellular?
Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Caroline Aaron Marilyn Mooney Kim Basinger Jessica Martin Brenda Ballard Irate Customer #1 Will Beinbrink Young Security Guard Jessica Biel Chloe
What do you call a mixed urine cast?
Most urinary casts have a fairly homogenous aspect throughout their entirety and are clearly classifiable as either hyaline, granular (with all their variants), waxy, or of some cellular nature. However, in many instances urinary casts are not homogenous and contain features of more than one type of cast. Those casts are called mixed.