URINARY CASTS 343 



pathological significance. Red blood cells usually show as pale doubly ringed 

 bodies. They appear in inflammations, particularly stone or schistosome infection. 

 They may be found in conditions where toxins are being eliminated through the 

 kidneys, as in tuberculosis. The menstrual period of women must be kept in mind 

 in the examination of urine sediments. 



Epithelial Cells. For morphology of cells from different locations see illustration. 

 It is almost impossible to state positively the origin in the genito-urinary tract of 

 certain cells. Very trustworthy evidence however is finding of epithelial cells on 

 casts or the so-called compound granine cells (fatty degenerated renal epithelium). 

 Sheets of more or less small round or caudate epithelial cells are rather significant of 

 pyelitis. Vaginal epithelium resembles that gotten from scraping the buccal 

 mucosa. 



Of casts we have (i) hyaline, narrow and homogenous. They do not prove 

 nephritis. (2) Epithelial casts. Usually indicative of nephritis but very slight 

 inflammatory processes can cause them. (3) Blood casts. (4) Granular casts. 

 If coarse granules rather significant of chronic nephritis. Finely granular casts do 

 not seem to have any more significance than hyaline ones. As a matter of fact 

 under dark ground illumination hyaline casts show a granular structure. (5) Waxy 

 casts are highly refractile, show fissuring of margins and are of serious prognostic 

 import (chronic nephiitis). 



Cylindroids are drawn out bodies showing tapering ends, irregularity of diameter 

 and longitudinal striations. 



It will be found that a 2/3 in. objective gives almost all the information 

 required as to casts. It is quicker and gives more positive information. 



Mounting a sediment in Gram's solution or tinging it with the merest trace of 

 neutral red is of much assistance. 



