The Role of Urine Investigations in Urology Practice

Abstract

Urine examination is one of the important armamentarium in the practice of urology and it is a fundamental test that is usually carried out for urology patients, it can be as simple as dipstick analysis to a complex hormonal assays. Urine examination is done worldwide as an extension of physical examination which provides a lot of information about the pathology, and both physical and chemical analysis of urine are highly informative. There are several types of urine investiga- tions, some of which include urinalysis, urine microscopy culture and sensitivity, urine micros- copy for ova or cyst of parasites, urine cytology, urine tumour antigens assays, urine hormonal assays, urine toxicology, urine quantitative measurement and urine acid fast bacilli. Uses of urine examinations in urology could be diagnostic, such as renal function test, evaluation of heamaturia, stone diseases, urinary tract infections, urologic cancers and infertility or monitoring and for prognosis. Uses of urine investigations in practice of urology cannot be over emphasized as it has many revealing information of the physiology and pathology of urologic organs.