Potentially Confusing Artifacts in Urine Sediment

The presence of contaminants in the urine sediment may cause confusion for the evaluating medical laboratory scientist. Examples of artifacts and the sediment
constituents with which they may be confused are shown in the table below.

Artifact May Be Confused With Identification Aids

Look for budding yeast.
Examine under polarized light.
Fibers will polarize; pseudohyphae and yeast will not.

Fibers Pseudohyphae

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Potentially Confusing Artifacts in Urine Sediment
Artifact May Be Confused With Identification Aids
Oil droplets are highly refractile and vary in size.
RBCs will lyse with the addition of acetic acid; oil droplets will not.
If yeast is suspected, look for budding yeast. Note that yeast will not lyse with the
addition of acetic acid.

Oil droplets Red blood cells (RBCs)

Yeast

Page 2 of 4, revised July 1, 2016

Potentially Confusing Artifacts in Urine Sediment
Artifact May Be Confused With Identification Aids
Look for a nucleus in the epithelial cell.
Pollen grains appear as spheres with a cell wall and concentric circles.
Their large size may cause them to be out of focus with true sediment constituents.

Pollen Epithelial cells

RBCs will dissolve with the addition of acetic acid; starch granules will not.
Starch granules are highly refractile with a dimpled center and will polarize; RBCs will
not.

Starch granules RBCs

Page 3 of 4, revised July 1, 2016

Potentially Confusing Artifacts in Urine Sediment
Artifact May Be Confused With Identification Aids
Air bubbles are highly refractile and vary greatly in size and uniformity.
Reload the slide if it is suspected that air bubbles were introduced.

Air bubbles RBCs

Page 4 of 4, revised July 1, 2016