title: Clinical significance of hematuria in patients on anticoagulant therapy.
abstract: We evaluated 29 consecutive patients in whom gross or microscopic hematuria developed while they were on heparin or warfarin anticoagulant therapy. Patients who had bleeding as a result of anticoagulant overdosage and/or from an additional organ system(s) other than the urinary tract were excluded from this review. Significant pathological findings consisting of carcinoma, calculi, renal infarction, infection, benign prostatic hyperplasia and/or adult polycystic renal disease were identified in 17 patients. Insignificant or incidental pathological findings classified as posterior urethritis, simple renal cyst or renal scarring were noted in 6 patients. No pathological condition was found in the remaining 6 patients. We conclude that a thorough and appropriate evaluation of the urinary tract should be conducted in patients on anticoagulant therapy who have gross or microscopic hematuria, since a pathological lesion of variable clinical significance often is discovered.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006417:Hematuria / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014545:Urinary Calculi / Q000150:complications*; D014571:Urologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D014859:Warfarin; D006493:Heparin