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crystals in urine
Etiology:
1) calcium oxalate crystals
- hypercalciuria, hyperoxaluria, ethylene glycol poisoning
2) calcium phosphate crystals*
- distal renal tubular acidosis
- urine pH > 6.5
- tumor lysis syndrome
- acute phosphate nephropathy
3) uric acid crystals (radiolucent)
- hyperuticemia
- gout
- diabetes mellitus
- obesity
- tumor lysis syndrome
- urine pH < 6.0
4) cystine crystals (may be intermediate in radiopacity)
- cystinuria
5) ammonium magnesium phosphate crystals (struvite);
- alkaline pH often secondary to urea-splitting organism
6) less common
a) xanthine crystals
b) oxypurinol crystals
c) tyrosine crystals
Indications:
- urinary calculi
Laboratory:
- urine microscopy
1) calcium oxalate crystals
- envelope, dumbbell or needle-shaped
2) calcium phosphate crystals*
- prism, needle or star-like clumps
3) uric acid crystals (radiolucent)
- rhomboid, needle rosette, barrels, hexagon plates
4) cystine crystals (may be intermediate in radiopacity)
- hexagonal
5) ammonium magnesium phosphate crystals (struvite);
- coffin lid
6) less common
a) xanthine crystals
b) oxypurinol crystals
c) tyrosine crystals
Related
urinary calculus (stone, nephrolithiasis, urolithiasis)
urine
Specific
ammonium urate crystals in urine
amorphous crystals in urine
bilirubin crystals in urine
calcium carbonate crystals in urine
calcium oxalate crystals in urine
Calcium sulfate crystals in urine
cholesterol crystals in urine
cystine crystals in urine
hippurate crystals in urine
leucine crystals in urine
phosphate crystals in urine
sulfonamide crystals in urine
triple phosphate (struvite) crystals in urine
tyrosine crystals in urine
unidentified crystals in urine
urate crystals in urine
X ray dye crystals in urine sediment
General
crystals in body fluid
References
- Laboratory Medicine: Test Selection & Interpretation.
Howanitz & Howanitz (eds), Churchill Livingstone, NY,
1991, pg 119-121
- Clinical Diagnosis & Management by Laboratory Methods,
19th edition, J.B. Henry (ed), W.B. Saunders Co.,
Philadelphia, PA. 1996, pg 469-470
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 11, 18.
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 1998, 2018.
Component-of
urinalysis (UA)