What type of crystals are found in diabetic urine

Calcium oxalate crystals are shaped like dumbbells or envelopes. Calcium oxalate crystals are heavily associated with kidney stones, which can form when too much oxalate found in such foods as spinach is in the system. Kidney stone symptoms include severe groin or abdominal pain, nausea, fever, and difficulty passing urine. These natural remedies can help you fight kidney stones at home.

In some cases, calcium oxalate crystals can be caused by the ingestion of ethylene glycol, which is toxic and is an essential ingredient in antifreeze formulations. Exposure to this compound can cause symptoms such as:. Your doctor may recommend dietary changes to reduce oxalate in your diet and increase hydration. Hippuric acid crystals are rare.

They may be either yellow-brown or clear, and they often resemble needle-like prisms or plates. Hippuric acid crystals are often found clustered together. While they are sometimes caused by an acidic urine pH, hippuric acid crystals can also occur in healthy urine. Magnesium ammonium phosphate crystals are often colorless, rectangular prisms. They can be found in healthy urine, but they typically coincide with a urinary tract infection UTI.

Other symptoms of UTIs include:. If a UTI is causing these crystals, your doctor will prescribe you antibiotics to clear up the infection. Calcium carbonate crystals are large, round discs with smooth surfaces. Crystals of calcium carbonate — which is a supplement you can take to get more calcium — are also frequently associated with kidney stones. If you have calcium carbonate crystals in your urine, your doctor may recommend obtaining calcium through other means , like adding more dairy to your diet, instead of supplements.

Bilirubin is made when the healthy destruction of red blood cells occurs. Bilirubin crystals have a needle-like, granular appearance and are often very small and yellow in color. High levels of bilirubin or bilirubin crystals in your urine could indicate liver disease or poor liver function. Other symptoms may include nausea, pain, vomiting, jaundice, and fever. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Calcium phosphate crystals are colorless and may appear as star-like or needle-like, though they may also form plates.

They may show up alone or in clusters. They often appear in alkaline urine, though they can be found in normal urine. In rare cases, calcium phosphate crystals could by caused by hypoparathyroidism.

Symptoms of this include tingling in the hands and muscle cramping. Treatment may include drinking more water, getting more calcium, and taking vitamin D supplements.

These crystals are brown spheres with spiky thorns. They almost resemble small bugs. Sometimes ammonium biurate crystals only appear because the urine sample is old or has been poorly preserved. Because of this, recollecting a urine sample may be advised if these crystals appear.

Cholesterol crystals are often clear and shaped like long rectangles, with a notch cut out at the corner. Cholesterol crystals can be found in both neutral and acid urine. They may be caused by renal tubular disease, which can lead to renal failure if left untreated.

Treatment may involve alkali therapy to help treat chronic metabolic conditions, like renal tubular disease. This may be due to its role in the development of a persistently low urine pH, enhancing urine crystal formation. Acidic urine pH is mostly seen in type 2 diabetes and may be a predisposing factor to crystalluria in this study population. Good glycemic control may be a helpful in reducing the occurrence of crystalluria among type 2 diabetics.

Special thanks go to the staff and laboratory personnel of the ASMH for their immeasurable contribution in making this work a success. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. Journal List Niger Med J v. Niger Med J. Ruth C. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. Address for correspondence: Dr.

E-mail: hg. This is an open access journal, and articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.

Methods: A case—control study with random sampling of diabetes patients cases and 40 healthy non-diabetics controls was conducted from December to May at the Agona Swedru Municipal Hospital, Ghana. Results: Overall frequency of crystalluria was Conclusion: Crystalluria is common in diabetes patients. Keywords: Crystalluria, prevalence, type 2 diabetes.

Study participants Two hundred and five participants comprising T2DM patients designated as cases and 40 healthy nondiabetics designated as controls were recruited from the ASMH in Agona Swedru. Data collection Blood pressure measurement The blood pressure BP of participants was measured in accordance with recommendations of the American Heart Association 9 using a mercury sphygmomanometer Accoson, Dekamet, England and a stethoscope.

Anthropometry Weight nearest 0. Urinalysis Ten 10 ml of early morning midstream urine was collected into a dry, sterile wide-mouthed container. Open in a separate window. Figure 1. Figure 2. Prevalence of various urine crystal species in study participants.

Figure 3. Table 2 Demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus participants stratified by presence of crystalluria.

Table 3 Distribution of crystal species by BMI in type 2 diabetes mellitus participants. Table 4 Pearson's correlation between demographic, biochemical parameters and crystalluria. Table 5 Multivariate logistic regression analysis of various predisposing factors of crystalluria. Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest. Acknowledgment Special thanks go to the staff and laboratory personnel of the ASMH for their immeasurable contribution in making this work a success.

Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease; pp. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US children, adolescents, and adults, Diabetes in Ghana: A community based prevalence study in greater Accra.

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. Obesity, weight gain, and the risk of kidney stones. Diabetes mellitus and the risk of nephrolithiasis. Kidney Int. High prevalence of uric acid calculi in diabetic stone formers. Nephrol Dial Transplant. Pathophysiologic basis for normouricosuric uric acid nephrolithiasis.

In some cases, if the stone is large and in a potentially harmful location, a doctor may remove the stone. Kidney stones are crystalized minerals that form in the kidneys. They can cause a lot of pain and discomfort. In this article, we look at six natural…. Bladder stones are small masses that develop in the bladder, usually when the urine becomes concentrated. This article explains how and why they form. Urinalysis, or a urine test, can help a doctor diagnose certain health issues, check for pregnancy, or screen for drug use.

In this article, learn…. In this article, learn about the possible causes of white particles in urine for both men and women, including UTIs, kidney stones, STIs, yeast…. Clear or very pale urine is usually a sign of proper hydration. In this article, learn more about the possible causes of clear urine and when to see a…. Urine crystals: Everything you need to know. Medically reviewed by Alana Biggers, M.

Signs and symptoms. Share on Pinterest A person with urine crystals may experience lower back pain on one side. What causes them to form? What conditions and complications can they cause?

When to see a doctor. Exposure to air pollutants may amplify risk for depression in healthy individuals. Costs associated with obesity may account for 3.

Related Coverage. Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph. All about bladder stones. Medically reviewed by Judith Marcin, M. Everything you need to know about urinalysis. Nine causes of white particles in urine. Everything you need to know about clear urine.