To review the characteristics of the cellular elements that can be seen in urine, study the following table.
Epithelial - Squamous | Must be differentiated from other cells. |
Epithelial - Cuboidal or Renal Tubular | Increased numbers indicate tubular necrosis, particularly important in renal graft rejection. Tubular damage caused by viral or bacterial infections. |
Epithelial - Transitional or Caudate | Not significant unless found in large numbers or abnormal in appearance. |
White Blood Cells (WBCs) | Bacterial infection. |
Red Blood Cells (RBCs) | More than an occasional RBC can be significant. They are often associated with damage to the glomerular membrane of vascular injury within the genitourinary tract. |
Ghost Cells | Alkaline urine causes RBCs to lyse, their empty membranes are called "ghost cells." Empty RBCs have the same significance as RBCs. |
Yeast | Can be confused with RBCs unless they are budding. Yeast can be seen in diabetes mellitus or in patients with vaginal moniliasis. |
Bacteria | May be a contaminant unless WBCs are present. |