Coulter counter analysis of urinary red blood cell for diagnostic evaluation of hematuria

Lim, Il Sung; Hong, Sung Joo

Abstract

Urine specimens from 60 consecutive patients with hematuria were examined with an autoanalyzer (Coulter counter model S-PLUS JR) to obtain the urinary red cell size distribution curve an mean cellular volume (MCV). Glomerular and nonglomerular red blood cells showed large differences with respect to size distribution, with the peak for glomerular cells at a smaller volume (MCV value 68.40+/-4.32fl) in comparison with the normal size distribution of nonglomerular cells (MCV value 96.78+/-5.76fl). A definite diagnosis was made which correlated with urinary red cell mean cellular volume in of 39 patients (94%) with nonglomerular hematuria and in 20 of 21 patients (95%) with glomerular hematuria. Identification of glomerular (MCV values below 80 fl) and nonglomerular hematuria (MCV values above 80 fl) can be of practical use in the clinical managements of patients. We think that this simple diagnostic work up should be adopted in the routine screening test for patient with hematuria.