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erythrocyte cast (RBC cast)
See urinary cast
Etiology:
- glomerular bleeding
- pathognomonic for glomerulonephritis
Clinical manifestations:
- may be asymptomatic microscopic hematuria
Laboratory:
- urine microscopy
- erythrocytes may be distinct or incorporated into a homogeneous mass.
- may occur as a cylindrical mass (~ 6 RBC wide, 16 RBC long)
- orange-red appearance characteristic [1]
- may look brown rather than orange-red (MKSAP20 presented image)
Differential diagnosis:
- muddy brown cast of acute tubular necrosis
General
urinary cast
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 14, 15, 19
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2006, 2009, 2019
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 20
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2025