Sponsored Ads

Tests and Diagnosis of Hematuria

Your doctor may order a series of tests to find the cause of hematuria or to rule out certain causes. Diagnostic tests include urinalysis, blood tests, kidney imaging studies, and cystoscopic examination.

 Urinalysis. This is a procedure used to examine the urine for any cells and chemicals. In addition to finding RBCs, the doctor may find white blood cells that signal a urinary tract infection or casts, which are groups of cells molded together in the shape of the kidneys' tiny filtering tubes, that signal kidney disease. Excessive protein in the urine also signals kidney disease.

 Blood tests. It may reveal kidney disease if the blood contains high levels of wastes that the kidneys are supposed to remove.

 Imaging tests. Imaging studies include ultrasound, computerized tomography (CT) scan, and intravenous pyelogram (IVP). They are used to see if there is a tumor, a kidney or bladder stone, an enlarged prostate, or a blockage to the normal flow of urine.

 A cystoscope can be used to take pictures of the inside of the bladder. It has a tiny camera at the end of a thin tube, which is inserted through the urethra. A cystoscope may provide a better view of a tumor or bladder stone than can be seen in an IVP.


<<< Back l l Next: Treatment