LO3 CHEM 110 Urine Crystal Identification and Urinalysis Sediment

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering normal and abnormal urinary crystals, their microscopic appearances, associated conditions, and pH characteristics.

Uric Acid Crystals

Yellow or brown crystals found in acid urine that exhibit a variety of shapes including barrels, diamonds, hexagons, prisms, and rosettes.

Amorphous Urate Crystals

Crystals found in acid urine that present microscopically as granular sediment and macroscopically as a salmon pink precipitated sediment.

Hippuric Acid Crystals

Colorless, two-dimensional crystals found in acid or alkaline urine described as 'picket fences' with two pointed ends.

Triple Phosphate Crystals

Crystals found in alkaline urine that typically appear as 'coffin lids' and less commonly as fern leaves.

Amorphous Phosphate Crystals

Crystals found in alkaline urine appearing microscopically as granular sediment and macroscopically as a white precipitate.

Calcium Carbonate Crystals

Colorless, small granular crystals found in alkaline urine that may appear as dumbbells and can be mistaken for large bacteria.

Calcium Phosphate Crystals

Colorless prism crystals found in alkaline urine with one pointed end and one blunt end.

Ammonium Biurate Crystals

Yellow or brown spheres found in alkaline urine featuring surface striations and spicules that give them a 'thorny apple' look.

Calcium Oxalate Crystals

Colorless, refractile envelope-shaped (or uncommonly dumbbell-shaped) crystals found in alkaline, acid, or neutral urine.

Abnormal Urinary Crystals

A category of crystals—including cystine, leucine, tyrosine, cholesterol, and bilirubin—that are all found exclusively in acid urine.

Cystine Crystals

Colorless hexagonal plates found in acid urine indicating a metabolic disorder that can lead to renal stones and intellectual disability.

Leucine Crystals

Yellow, oily-looking spheres with radial striations or concentric rings found in acid urine in disorders of leucine metabolism.

Maple Syrup Disease

A disease of leucine metabolism where urine has a maple syrup odor and contains leucine crystals.

Tyrosine Crystals

Fine, delicate colorless or yellow needles appearing in clusters ('wheat sheaves') in acid urine, caused by a rare inherited genetic disorder in amino acid metabolism.

Cholesterol Crystals

Clear, flat rectangular prisms with notched corners found in acid urine, associated with Nephrotic syndrome.

Nephrotic Syndrome

Conditions where the glomerular barrier is diminished, which may be accompanied by proteinuria, lipiduria, and cholesterol crystals.

Bilirubin Crystals

Red-brown, delicate needles that may form balls in acid urine, seen in patients with liver disease whose urine contains large amounts of bilirubin.

Salmon Pink Precipitated Sediment

The macroscopic appearance characteristic of amorphous urate crystals in acidic urine.

Thorny Apple Look

The descriptive term for ammonium biurate crystals due to the spicules present on their surface.

Coffin Lids

The primary characteristic morphological shape used to identify triple phosphate crystals.

Picket Fences

The descriptive appearance of hippuric acid crystals having two pointed ends.

Wheat Sheaves

The visual shape formed by clusters of fine delicate needles seen in tyrosine crystals.

Glycol Poisoning

A clinical condition associated with an increased presence of calcium oxalate crystals in urine.

Severe Liver Disease Crystal Indicator

A pathological state in which leucine and tyrosine crystals are found together in a patient's urine.

Amorphous Urates vs. Amorphous Phosphates Differentiation

The diagnostic requirement where knowing urine pH is the only way to microscopically distinguish granular urate sediment from granular phosphate sediment.

Notched Corners

The distinct diagnostic structural feature of clear, flat rectangular cholesterol prism crystals.

Hexagonal Plates Appearance

The distinct shape characteristic of colorless cystine crystals.

Bilirubin Sediment Staining

The effect where microscopic elements of urine sediment are stained orange due to excessive amounts of bilirubin.

White Precipitate

The macroscopic appearance produced by amorphous phosphate crystals in urine.

Universal Urine Crystal Type

Calcium oxalate, which is the only crystal type found across all urine pH environments (acid, alkaline, and neutral).

Uric Acid Crystals

Normal urine crystals found in acid urine that are yellow or brown and appear in a variety of shapes including barrels, diamonds, hexagons, prisms, and rosettes.

Amorphous Urate Crystals

Normal urine crystals found in acid urine that appear microscopically as granular sediment and macroscopically as a salmon pink precipitated sediment.

Hippuric Acid Crystals

Colorless, two-dimensional urine crystals with two pointed ends that visually resemble picket fences.

Triple Phosphate Crystals

Urine crystals found in alkaline urine that classically appear shaped like coffin lids, or less commonly as fern leaves.

Amorphous Phosphate Crystals

Normal urine crystals found in alkaline urine that appear microscopically as granular sediment and form a white precipitate macroscopically.

Differentiation of Amorphous Urates and Amorphous Phosphates

The clinical necessity of knowing the pH of the urine sample, which is the only way to distinguish between these two microscopically identical granular sediments.

Calcium Carbonate Crystals

Colorless, small granular crystals in alkaline urine that may appear as dumbbells and can be mistaken for large bacteria.

Calcium Phosphate Crystals

Colorless prism-shaped crystals found in alkaline urine that feature one pointed end and one blunt end.

Ammonium Biurate Crystals

Yellow or brown spherical crystals found in alkaline urine with surface striations and spicules, giving them a thorny apple look.

Calcium Oxalate Crystals

Colorless, refractile envelope-shaped (or uncommonly dumbbell-shaped) crystals that can be found in all types of urine pH (acid, alkaline, neutral).

Glycol Poisoning (Urinalysis Finding)

A pathological state characterized by an increased amount of calcium oxalate crystals in the urine.

Abnormal Urine Crystals

A category of urinary crystals associated with metabolic disorders or pathological conditions, all of which are found exclusively in acid urine.

Cystine Crystals

Colorless hexagonal plate crystals found in acid urine that indicate a metabolic disorder and can lead to renal stones and intellectual disability.

Leucine Crystals

Yellow oily-looking spheres with radial striations or concentric rings found in acid urine in patients with a disease of leucine metabolism.

Maple Syrup Disease

A disorder of leucine metabolism where urine exhibits a distinct maple syrup odor and contains leucine crystals in acid urine.

Tyrosine Crystals

Colorless or yellow fine delicate needles occurring in clusters resembling wheat sheaves, caused by a rare inherited genetic disorder in amino acid metabolism.

Severe Liver Disease (Urinary Sediment Finding)

A pathological condition in which leucine and tyrosine crystals are found together in acid urine sediment.

Cholesterol Crystals

Clear, flat rectangular prisms with notched corners found in acid urine, associated with nephrotic syndrome.

Nephrotic Syndrome (Urinary Characteristics)

A disease state where the glomerular barrier is diminished, leading to urine containing cholesterol crystals accompanied by proteinuria and lipiduria.

Bilirubin Crystals

Red-brown, delicate needles that may form balls in acid urine, indicating liver disease and large amounts of urinary bilirubin.

Bilirubin Staining Effect

The orange staining of other microscopic elements in urine sediment caused by the presence of large amounts of bilirubin.

"Thorny Apple" Appearance

The characteristic visual description of ammonium biurate crystals caused by spicules on their surface.

"Coffin Lids" Appearance

The primary classic shape used to describe triple phosphate crystals in microscopic urinalysis.

"Picket Fences" Appearance

The descriptive appearance of colorless, two-dimensional hippuric acid crystals with two pointed ends.

"Wheat Sheaves" Appearance

The characteristic cluster shape formed by fine delicate colorless or yellow tyrosine needles.

Dumbbell-shaped Urinary Crystals

A physical morphology that may be observed in calcium carbonate crystals and uncommonly in calcium oxalate crystals.

Hexagonal Plates (Urinary Sediment)

The diagnostic colorless microscopic structure characteristic of cystine crystals in acid urine.

Salmon Pink Precipitated Sediment

The macroscopic visual appearance of amorphous urate crystals precipitated in acid urine sediment.

White Precipitated Sediment

The macroscopic visual appearance of amorphous phosphate crystals precipitated in alkaline urine sediment.

Notched Corners (Urinary Sediment)

The classic defining physical feature seen on the clear, flat rectangular prisms of cholesterol crystals.