Urinary cylinders: what pediatrician and nephrologist need to know

Abstract

Clinical urine test with the correct interpretation can help the clinician in the diagnosis of the urinary system diseases, as well as other organs and systems. Most laboratories in medical institutions are currently switching to an automated urinary sediment test, but microscopy appears relevant. Unfortunately, clinicians often interpret only three or four (most often proteinuria, leukocyturia and erythrocyturia) of all the numerous indicators of urine test, unfairly ignoring the others. The urinary cylinders are one of these important elements of the urinary sediment. The article presents the characteristics of the main types of urinary cylinders, their origin, composition, morphology and clinical significance.

Keywords

• cylindruria
• urine test
• urinary cylinders
• uromodulin
• urinary sediment
• acute kidney injury