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Urology (Expert Forum)
Protein in the urine
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
Protein in the urine
by Jenifer__0__0, Jul 07, 1998 12:00AM
Dear Dr.
In the past month two different doctors have found blood and protein
in my urine. no one seems to be able to tell me what it means
they just say lets wait and see what happens what in the world does
this mean. What do I need to do.
Jennifer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jennifer,
The presence of protein and blood in the urine usually means that there is medical kidney disease. Protein in the urine is called proteinuria. The kidneys are designed to stop proteins from being lost in the urine. The presence of protein in the urine means that these mechanisms are being overwhelmed by the amount of protein in your serum or that these protective mechanisms are breaking down.
Blood in an adequately collected urine sample is also abnormal. Blood in the urine, i.e. hematuria, may be due to medical disease or surgical disease. One can determine whether the hematuria has a medical cause by looking at the shape of the red blood cells under a microscope. Dysmorphic or irregularly shaped red blood cells are more commonly associated with medical renal disease.
Because you have both blood and protein in your urine, I suspect you have a medical reason to your kidney disease, i.e. a disease process which does not require surgery as a primary modality for treatment. Instead, different types of medications are employed.
The next step in your management should be a collection of your urine for 24 hours. From this tests can be done to determine what types of protein are lost. Patients with blood in the urine must undergo an imaging study of the kidney, bladder and ureters to make sure a cancer is not missed. The studies available are an IVP, a renal ultrasound and endoscopic cystoscopy with retrograde pyelograms if indicated.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its urban campuses by calling (1 800 653 6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is your need. Please bring any physicians’ notes and lab test results that you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely yours;
HFHS M.D.-JL
* Keyword: hematuria/ proteinuria
In the past month two different doctors have found blood and protein
in my urine. no one seems to be able to tell me what it means
they just say lets wait and see what happens what in the world does
this mean. What do I need to do.
Jennifer
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Jennifer,
The presence of protein and blood in the urine usually means that there is medical kidney disease. Protein in the urine is called proteinuria. The kidneys are designed to stop proteins from being lost in the urine. The presence of protein in the urine means that these mechanisms are being overwhelmed by the amount of protein in your serum or that these protective mechanisms are breaking down.
Blood in an adequately collected urine sample is also abnormal. Blood in the urine, i.e. hematuria, may be due to medical disease or surgical disease. One can determine whether the hematuria has a medical cause by looking at the shape of the red blood cells under a microscope. Dysmorphic or irregularly shaped red blood cells are more commonly associated with medical renal disease.
Because you have both blood and protein in your urine, I suspect you have a medical reason to your kidney disease, i.e. a disease process which does not require surgery as a primary modality for treatment. Instead, different types of medications are employed.
The next step in your management should be a collection of your urine for 24 hours. From this tests can be done to determine what types of protein are lost. Patients with blood in the urine must undergo an imaging study of the kidney, bladder and ureters to make sure a cancer is not missed. The studies available are an IVP, a renal ultrasound and endoscopic cystoscopy with retrograde pyelograms if indicated.
More individualized care is available at the Henry Ford Hospital and its urban campuses by calling (1 800 653 6568). We can also arrange local accommodations through this number if this is your need. Please bring any physicians’ notes and lab test results that you may be able to obtain. These will help us greatly.
This information is provided for general medical education purposes only. Please consult your physician for diagnostic and treatment options pertaining to your specific medical condition.
Sincerely yours;
HFHS M.D.-JL
* Keyword: hematuria/ proteinuria
