title: [Clinical use of phase-contrast microscopy in the differential diagnosis of microhematuria].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate phase-contrast microscopy in differential diagnosis of asymptomatic microhematuria in patients with asymptomatic microhematuria during the 1993-2000 period.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was performed at the Laboratory of Cytology, Department of Nephrology and Dialysis, Rijeka University Hospital Center, Rijeka, Croatia, and included 526 patients with asymptomatic hematuria referred from Urology Department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Presence of red blood cells (RBC), other cell types, other elements, and detritus. According to size and shape, RBCs were classified into 2 main categories: dysmorphic and isomorphic RBCs. The presence of > 80% of dysmorphic RBCs was recognized as glomerular hematuria. Isomorphic cell predominance was classified as postglomerular hematuria, and equal presence of both types was considered as mixed hematuria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Glomerular hematuria was found in 238 (45.2%), postglomerular hematuria in 181 (34.4%) and mixed hematuria in 22 (4.2%) patients. Additional diagnostic procedures in patients with glomerular hematuria included renal biopsy. In 89% of those patients glomerular disease was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phase-contrast microscopy is a simple, noninvasive and reliable diagnostic procedure in nephrology practice.
authors.affiliation: Odjel za nefrologiju i dijalizu, Klinika za internu medicinu, Klinicki bolnicki centar Rijeka, T. Strizića 3 51000 Rijeka, Hrvatska. sracki@medri.hr
authors.forename: Sanjin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racki
authors.forename: Mirjana
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grzetić
authors.forename: Zeljka
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Prodan-Merlak
authors.forename: Sretenka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vuksanović-Mikulicić
authors.forename: Branka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sladoje-Martinović
authors.forename: Stela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zivcić-Cosić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006417:Hematuria / Q000209:etiology* / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008858:Microscopy, Phase-Contrast; D008875:Middle Aged; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*