Urine is the biological fluid of our body, when analyzed, it is possible to draw a conclusion about the state of human health. Next, we will talk about such an indicator as flat epithelium in the urine. Let's figure out under what conditions it is detected, what can it say?
What epithelium is normally found in a child's urine?
Our body is a constantly renewing system, cells age, die, are replaced with new ones. These processes invariably occur in the urinary system, therefore, sometimes in the urinary sediment, a certain amount of desquamated old epithelium can be found.
Types of epithelium in urinary sediment
When examining urine, the following epithelium can be found:
- Flat. It lines the urinary tract, urethra, and also the vagina. Therefore, in females, its detection in urine is common. In girls, the detection of squamous epithelium in the urine indicates puberty.
- Renal. During normal functioning of the body, the renal epithelium in the urine of a child and an adult is not detected. Single cells are allowed in newborns. If the renal epithelium can be detected by the available methods in the study of urine, then a more thorough examination of the patient is needed. Because such a situation may indicate severe kidney damage.
- Transition. It is a typical epithelium for the bladder and ureters and also covers part of the urethra. It is considered acceptable when the transitional epithelium in the urine can be easily calculated - i.e. single cells are found.
Pathological conditions in which the epithelium in the urine rises
For each type of epithelium, there are characteristic pathological conditions of the kidneys (table 1).
Table 1. Causes of epithelium in urine.
| Epithelium type | Kidney pathology |
| Flat | Urinary tract infection |
| Renal | Acute inflammatory processes in the kidneys, kidney damage, toxic and autoimmune (renal failure, glomerulonephritis, nephrotic syndrome, inflammation of the calyx-pelvic system (pyelonephritis), amyloidosis, nephrosis and others). |
| Transition | Cystitis, urolithiasis, medication, kidney malignant neoplasms. |
The flat epithelium in the urine of a child can be found normally in small quantities, however, as such, an increase in its content in urine has no diagnostic value.
Analysis for the determination of squamous epithelium in urine
How to properly collect urine for analysis?
The definition of epithelium in urine is included in the OAM. Therefore, how the patient prepares for the analysis will affect the results of the study.
Before passing urine for analysis, you should refrain from eating foods that color urine, such as beets.
It is also important to consult with your doctor about what medications you are taking, whether this may affect the results of the study.
Medicines are excreted in the urine, so they can distort the test results.
Also, before you donate urine, you need to prepare a sterile dry container. A container for this can be bought at a pharmacy or you can use a baby food jar after sterilizing it.
An important manipulation of urine collection is hygiene procedures using warm water and soap. This is necessary, since the epithelium from the skin, when it enters a container with urine, can distort the results - this is regarded as a pathology.
In girls, a slight detection of squamous epithelial cells in the urine is allowed. But this does not mean that washing away before collecting urine should be neglected.
The sequence of actions for collecting urine is as follows:
- Prepare a container in the evening.
- In the morning after waking up, do not go to the toilet.
- Produce a toilet for the external genitalia.
- Flush the first third of the morning urine into the toilet.
- The rest of the urine is collected in a container.
- Take the container to the laboratory within 2 hours.
It is not recommended to pass urine during your period.
Also, in young children with uncontrolled urination, urine bags are used to collect urine, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. The urine bag is glued to the pubis. When the baby is done "his business", the urine is poured into a sterile dry container.
What methods are used to determine squamous epithelium in urine in children?
The epithelium in the urine of a child is determined by microscopic examination of the sediment. The urine from the patient is centrifuged. The top layer is drained, and the sediment is examined under a microscope.
In addition to various kinds of epithelium in the urine, microscopic examination can detect salts, erythrocytes, leukocytes, cylinders, crystals.
What is analyzed when receiving analysis results?
Normal indicators
The squamous epithelium in males with the correct toilet is not found at all. In females, up to 5 cells are allowed, taking into account the epithelium from the vagina.
In a newborn, the norms are slightly different, since his body gets used to life outside the womb.
Increase of squamous epithelium in urine in children and conditions provoking it
In cases where certain types of epithelium are suddenly found in the urinary sediment in large quantities, the first step is to decide - was the urine collected correctly? Most often, the cause of the situation is inadequate hygiene measures before passing urine.
Also, after 14 days from the moment the baby was born and his adaptation to new conditions of existence, the amount of exfoliating epithelium should decrease. If this does not happen and a high number of cells is still found in the urine, despite the careful toilet of the external genital organs, then we are talking about pathology.
For example, the increased content of squamous epithelium, found in the urinary sediment in the study of the general analysis of urine, makes it possible to suspect an inflammatory process in any part of the urinary tract.
Squamous epithelium in the urine of newborns
As mentioned earlier, newborn urine differs from older children. The urinary system adapts, therefore, cells of the squamous epithelium, as well as the transitional and renal cells, can be detected in the urine up to 2 weeks outside the uterine life of the child.
Their number may be insignificant, but it is worth keeping an eye out for further urine analysis.
Correction of pathological conditions
If squamous epithelium in the urine of a child was found, do not panic. A competent doctor will advise you to retake the analysis with an attentive attitude to all stages of urine collection, in particular, to the toilet of the external genital organs.
Recommendations for parents
The reliability of the study depends on how much the parents will be aware of the manipulations during the delivery of biological material. Therefore, do not hesitate to ask your doctor about how to properly prepare for the study.
Also, the interpretation of the analysis results should be entrusted to a specialist, and not to do it yourself.
Sometimes self-medication based on research results can do more harm.
Conclusion
Summing up the above, you should remember:
- preparation for the study of urine has an impact on the results of the analysis;
- entrust the interpretation of the results to a competent specialist;
- do not panic ahead of time;
- newborns have their own norms;
- epithelial cells in urine can be detected both in physiological conditions and in pathological ones.
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