Cylindruria

Abstract

The morphological analysis of urine sediment is an essential part of urinalysis and casts are important elements of urinary sediment. Their shape is typically cylindrical, with extremities often rounded. Casts form within the renal tubules and are made of Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein (THG). Under some physiological or pathological conditions THG fibrils aggregate giving rise to casts, whose formation is favoured by a number of factors including high urine osmolality and/or low pH. Casts can be found in normal subjects, in non-renal conditions, such as fever, dehydration, and acute heart failure as well as in virtually all renal diseases. Casts can be classified on the basis of their morphology as hyaline, granular, waxy, fatty, cellular (leukocytic, erythrocytic, epithelial), containing crystals or microorganisms, pigmented and mixed. As the correct identification of casts is crucial for an accurate and timely diagnosis of renal disorders, laboratory professionals should be trained to identify and classify casts properly.