Acanthocyturia—A characteristic marker for glomerular bleeding

Acanthocyturia—A characteristic marker for glomerular bleeding. Erythrocyte morphology by phase contrast microscopic examination (PCM) of the urine is widely employed in distinguishing glomerular from nonglomerular bleeding. The proposed percentages of dysmorphic red cells are significant for glomerular bleeding in the range of 10 to 80% in the literature, because there is no clear cut definition of “dysmor-phism.” In the present study midstream urine samples of 351 patients with hematuria (> 8 erythrocytes/μl) and of 33 healthy controls were examined. The various dysmorphic red cells were analyzed by PCM according to a detailed hematological classification. Most of the dysmorphic red cells…