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Microscopic hematuria

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Abstract

Asymptomatic microhematuria is not a rare phenomenon among apparently healthy individuals, and the incidence of such hematuria increases significantly with age. Some investigators report that the cause of hematuria is renal glomerular disease in more than 50% of patients, and urological malignancies in 1.0%–13%. On initial examination, urine sediments must be searched for evidence of renal glomerular disease, such as RBC casts and dysmorphic RBCs. If the patients were diagnosed to have glomerular disease, follow-up studies, without any extended examination or therapy are recommended, because their prognosis is usually favorable. The next step is to perform thorough urological examinations, including urine cytology, cystoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, and intravenous pyelography, to detect serious underlying disease. Even if no significant findings were observed after the extensive urological examinations, careful follow-up studies should be performed at 6–12-month intervals for 3 years, using the same methods.

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Murakami, S., Igarashi, T. & Irabu, N. Microscopic hematuria. Int Urogynecol J 3, 64–70 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00372658

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