Evaluation of mean volume of urinary erythrocytes in the evaluation of the cause of hematuria. Relation between pH and urinary osmolarity

: A new method for differentiation of glomerular from nonglomerular hematuria is presented. Mean volume of erythrocytes in glomerular hematuria is decreased, and these erythrocytes are abnormally small in size, so called microcytes. On the other hand, in nonglomerular hematuria the volume of erythrocytes is the same as the volume of erythrocytes in the peripheral blood from the same patient. Those are normocytes. A statistically significant difference in volume of erythrocytes was found between glomerular and nonglomerular erythrocytes. The osmolality and pH of urine had no influence on volume of erythrocytes in hematuria. Our results show that the analysis of mean corpuscular volume of urine erythrocytes may be helpful in determining the origin of hematuria.