What is Microhematuria?
Microhematuria or microscopic haematuria is a common diagnosis which we see in medical reports whenever a patient goes for their annual health check-up. Blood is present in such small amounts that it is only visible on microscopic examination and so, the urine may still appear clear to the naked eye.
Some patients may experience fear when the physician informs them that their tests have revealed blood in their urine. The good news is that many conditions causing this condition can be easily treated. When the diagnosis is made, the patient would be referred to a urologist for further assessment to establish the cause and then to institute the appropriate treatment.
Microhematuria can be caused by a variety of conditions like a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI), bladder cancer (less common), prostate enlargement and cancer, certain kidney conditions and stones in the urinary system. It is therefore important for the urologists to conduct tests to find the cause of blood in the urine. The usual tests include urine analysis, urine culture to exclude bacterial infection, CT Urogram imaging to rule out tumours and urinary tract stones, blood tests to evaluate kidney function and prostate cancer markers (if clinically indicated) and cystoscopy (scope of the bladder) to exclude bladder cancer. This will help to determine the cause of the microhematuria, so that the relevant treatment can be administered.
