Manual of basic techniques for a health laboratory - libdoc.who.int

242 Manual of basic techniques for a health laboratoryFig. 7.10 Leukocytesa: Intact cells; b: degenerated cells; c: pus.Fig. 7.11 Ureteral and renal pelvic cellsNote: Erythrocytes may be found in the urine of women if the specimen has beentaken during the menstrual period.Leukocytes (Fig. 7.10)Leukocytes found in urine may be:(a) intact: clear granular discs, 10–15mm (the nuclei may be visible);(b) degenerated: distorted shape, shrunken, less granular;(c) pus: clumps of numerous degenerated cells.The presence of many leukocytes, especially in clumps, indicates a urinary tractinfection.How to express the quantity of erythrocytes and leukocytes found inurine depositsPlace one drop of urine deposit on a slide and cover with a coverslip.Using the ¥ 40 objective, examine the deposit and count the number of erythrocytesand leukocytes per microscope field.Report the results as described in Tables 7.3 and 7.4.Ureteral and renal pelvic cells (Fig. 7.11)Medium-sized oval cells with a distinct nucleus.If many cells are present together with leukocytes and filaments, they may be fromthe ureter. If a few are present, with no leukocytes, they may be cells from the renalpelvis.Table 7.3 Reporting the results of microscopic examination of urinefor erythrocytesNumber of erythrocytes per microscope fieldResult0–10 few erythrocytes (normal)10–30 moderate number of erythrocytes> 30 many erythrocytes