Urine Casts

Why test for Urine Casts

Your doctor may order this test to see if your kidneys are working properly. It may also be ordered to check for certain conditions, such as:

• Glomerular disease
• Interstitial kidney disease
• Kidney infections

Abnormal results may include:

• Fatty casts are seen in people who have lipids in urine. This is most often a complication of nephrotic syndrome.
• Granular casts are a sign of many types of kidney diseases.
• Red blood cell casts mean there is a microscopic amount of bleeding from the kidney. They are seen in many kidney diseases.
• Renal tubular epithelial cell casts reflect damage to tubule cells in the kidney. These casts are seen in conditions such as renal tubular necrosis, viral disease (such as CMV nephritis), and kidney transplant rejection.
• Waxy casts can be found in people with advanced kidney disease and long-term (chronic) kidney failure.
• White blood cell (WBC) casts are common with acute kidney infections and interstitial nephritis.

Your provider will tell you more about your results.