Sediment examination is occasionally an aid in the diagnosis of?
systemic disease
Microscopic examination is?
important part of a complete urinalysis, many abnormalities cannot be detected by the reagent test strip, microscopy is performed for every urinalysis
Normal urine should not contain a lot of ____except ___ and ____.
sediment
horses and rabbits
___ ___ sample is best for sediment evaluation.
First morning
Sediment an normally include?
epithelial cells, mucus threads, RBCs, WBCs, Hyaline casts, crystals
Always examine when fresh or if sits too long what can occur?
casts dissolve
crystals form
The urine of horses and rabbits usually has large amounts of ____ _____ crystals
calcium carbonate
How do you separate sediment and supernatant?
- centrifuge urine for 3-5 min. at 1000 - 2000 rpm
5 - 10 mL of sample is ideal - supernatant is poured or pipetted off, leaving approx. 0.5 mL in the tube
- remix by gently flicking tube with finger to resuspend sediment
How do you prepare unstained sediment slide?
1 . place a drop on a slide
- cover with a cover slip
- turn down light on microscope
How do you prepare a stained sediment slide?
- add a tiny drop of sediment stain (Sedi-stain) or 0.5% new methylene blue to sample
- cover with a cover slip
- turn down light
Can stain introduce artifacts?
How can you rule artifacts out?
yes
examine both stained and unstained slides
Can you have both stained and unstained sample side by side on the same slide?
yes
How do you do a microscopic examination?
- start on low power - evaluate larger elements, casts or aggregates of cells - report as number per low power field (#/lpf)
- move to 40x - look for bacteria, differentiate cells (epithelial cells, RBCs, WBCs, - report as (3/hpf), look for bacterial - report as few, moderate, many - report morphology (shapes) (cocci, bacilli)
Microscopic findings - normal you might see?
few - casts, crystals, epithelial cells, RBCs, WBCs, mucus threads, fat droplets, sperm (intact males)
Microscopic findings - abnormal you might see?
more than a few - RBCs - small, round, smooth in fresh urine
shrink - crenate - in old urine
swollen - in dilute urine
WBCs, casts, crystals, hyperplastic or neoplastic epithelial cells, parasite ova, bacteria, yeast
What cell types will you find in urine?
epithelial cells (intact, ghost, crenated) squamous, transitional, renal, caudate, WBCs, yeast bodies, sperm
erythrocytes in Urine may look different, how?
RBCs - small, round, smooth in fresh urine
shrink - crenate - in old urine
swollen - in dilute urine
2 - 3 RBCs/hpf is not abnormal depending on patient and collection methods
Leukocytes are?
larger than RBCs and smaller than epithelial cells - spherical, dull gray or greenish yellow - granules or lobed nucleus
What is pyuria?
WBCs withpus
Epithelial cells are?
few = normal increased = inflammation three types: squamous - distal, urethra, external transitional - smaller from bladder etc. renal - any number is significant
Casts are?
we see on low power not high power
formed in the lumen of the distal and collecting tubules
classified by appearance:
- hyaline, epithelial, cellular, granular, waxy, fatty, mixed
Hyaline casts look?
clear and colorless, composed only of protein, cylindrical, with parallel sides and usually rounded ends
Increased numbers of hyaline casts mean?
fever, poor renal perfusion, strenuous exercise or general anesthesia
Granular casts are?
hyaline casts with granules that come from tubular epithelial cells, RBCs or WBCs that become incorporated within the cast and then degenerated, they are common
Granular casts increase with?
acute nephritis
Epithelial casts consists of?
epithelial cells from the renal tubules
Epithelial cells occur with?
acute nephritis, and degeneration of renal tubular epithelium - more skin cells collected
Erythrocyte casts are what color?
deep yellow to orange
membranes may not be visible
Contain RBCs - renal bleeding
Leukocyte casts contain?
WBCs -neutrophils
inflammation in renal tubules
Waxy casts are?
waxy - dull with a waxy appearance
Fatty casts are?
contain small droplets of fat, seen in cats with renal disease, sometimes seen in dogs with diabetes mellitus
Crystalluria is?
the presence of crystals
Crystalluria may lead to?
urinary calculi
Crystalluria is dependent on?
pH, concentration, temperature, and elements
Crystals are reported as?
type, quantity (occasional, moderate, many) or 1+ to 4+
What are some types of crystals found in urine?
struvite, calcium oxylate, uric acid, amorphous, calcium carbonate, ammonium biurate, sulfonamide, cystine, other crystals
How do you recognize struvite?
eight-sided prisms with tapered ends - most often a “coffin lid” shape
AKA struvite?
triple phosphate crystals or magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals
Where are struvite found?
in alkaline to slightly acidic urine
What types of calcium oxalate crystal are there?
dihydrate and monhydrate
What do calcium oxalate dihydrate crystals look like?
small square with an X across the crystal - resembles the back of an envelope
Where are calcium oxylate dihydrate crystals found?
in acidic to neutral urine
What species is oxylate dihydrate crystals found?
common in dogs and horses
What do calcium monohydrate crystals look like?
small, dumbell-shaped or elongated and pointed at each end - often called fence posts
Where is calcium monohydrate crystals seen?
ethylene glycol poisoning - antifreeze
Uric acid crystals have a variety shapes but usually are?
diamond or rhomboid
What color are uric acid crystals?
yellow or yellow brown
What breed of dogs is uric acid found?
dalmations - (not common with other breeds of dogs or cats)
Amorphous crystals look like?
granular precipitate
Amorphous crystals are named for?
acidity of urine
Amorphous crystals that are acidic are called?
Amorphous urates
Amorphous crystals that are alkaline are called?
Amorphous phosphates
Calcium carbonate may appear to look?
round with lines radiating from the center, round granular masses, dumbbell shaped
Calicum carbonate are common in what species?
horses and rabbits
Calcium carbonate are not ___ significant.
clinically
Ammonium biurate crystals are seen in slightly ___, ___, or ___ urine.
acidic, neutral, alkaline
What color are Ammonium biurate crystals?
brown
Ammonium biurate crystals look like?
long irregular spicules
Ammonium biurate crystals are common in what species?
animals with severe liver disease
Sulfonamide crystals are seen in animals treated with?
suflonamides - drugs
Sulfonamide crystals look like?
round, dark with a radiating center
Sulfonamide crystals are prevented by?
encouraging water consumption during treatment
Cystine look like?
flat, thin, six-sided, colorless
Cystine is associated with?
rental tubular dysfunction, cystine urolithiasis
Leucine crystals looks like?
a wheel or pincushion shape - spikey
Leucine crystals are what color?
yellow to brown
Leucine crystals are associated with?
liver disease - uncommon in dogs or cats
Urolithiasis is?
a condition of having urinary calculi (stones)
Urolithiasis may cause?
blockages or remain in bladder
Urolithiasis is important to determine type/compostion for what?
prognosis and prevention
treatment and removal
Urolithiasis is common in what species?
castrated male ruminants, in dogs and cats, typically struvite crystals (in dalmations usually are urate crystals)
Tyrosine crystals look like?
dark, needle-like projections
Tyrosine crystals are associated with?
liver disease - uncommon in dogs or cats
Crystals associated with Melamine toxicity look like?
golden-brown round to oval crystals with radial striations
Crystals associated with Melamine toxicity may be present in animals that have been fed diets contaminated with?
melamine or cyanuric acid
Microorganisms are found in urine such as?
bacteria, fungi, and protozoa
Normal urine is free of bacteria. T/F
True - can be contaminated by bacteria residing on the epithelium of the vagina, vulva or prepuce during urination
Bacteria is ____ if urine is left standing.
proliferate (increase rapidly in numbers)
Bacteria can be identified under ____. What do they look like?
magnification
round - (cocci) or rod-shaped - (bacilli)
Bacteria can be reported as?
few, moderate, many, or TNTC
Bacteria is indicative of?
infection or inflammation
Bacteria should be submitted for bacterial ____.
culture
Parasite ova and microfilaria can be seen in?
Fecal contamination and parasite of the urinary tract
What is Pearsonema plica?
bladder worm
What is Dictophyma renale?
kidney worm (of dogs)
What is Microfilaria imitis?
adult heartworm
What are mucus threads?
resemble twisted ribbons - confused with casts
Mucus threads are in large numbers in what species?
horses
Mucus threads in other species indicates what?
urethral irritation or contamination with genital secretions
Spermatozoa found in?
intact males
Spermatozoa in large numbers can give?
false -positives for protein
fat droplets look like?
lightly green-tinged, highly refractile, spherical
If a sediment smear sits for a few moments, fat droplets will rise to the ___ . Higher plane of focus than rest of slide
surface
Lipuria?
fat in urine
Lipuria is seen in some degree in most?
cats
Lipuria is seen with?
obesity, diabetes millitus, hypothroidism, and , rarely, after a high-fat meal
Artifacts enter during?
collection, transport, or examination
Examples of artifacts are?
air bubbles, oil droplets, hair, feces, pollen, dust