Causes
The most common causes of hematuria are:
- Urinary tract infection with viruses, other sexually transmitted diseases (particularly in women) or some bacterial species including strains of EPEC and Staphylococcus saprophyticus
- Bladder stones
- Kidney stones or ureter stones
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia, in older men, especially those over 50
Other, less common causes of hematuria include:
- IgA nephropathy ("Berger's disease") - occurs during viral infections in predisposed patients
- Trauma (e.g., a blow to the kidneys)
- Tumors and/or cancer in the urinary system, for example bladder cancer or renal cell carcinoma
- Kidney diseases
- Urinary Schistosomiasis (caused by Schistosoma haematobium) - a major cause for hematuria in many African and Middle-Eastern countries;
- Prostate infection or inflammation (prostatitis)
Rare causes include:
- Benign familial hematuria
- Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria - a rare disease where hemoglobin of hemolyzed cells is passed into the urine
- Sickle cell trait can precipitate large amounts of red blood cell discharge, but only a small number of individuals endure this problem
- Arteriovenous malformation of the kidney (rare, but may impress like renal cell carcinoma on scans as both are highly vascular)
- Nephritic syndrome (a condition associated with post-streptococcal and rapidly progressing glomerulonephritis)
- Fibrinoid necrosis of the Glomeruli (as a result of malignant hypertension)
- Vesical varices may rarely develop secondary to obstruction of the inferior vena cava
- Allergy may rarely cause episodic gross hematuria in children
- Left renal vein hypertension, also called "nutcracker phenomenon" or "nutcracker syndrome," is a rare vascular abnormality responsible for gross hematuria
- Ureteral Pelvic Junction Obstruction (UPJ) is a rare condition beginning from birth in which the ureter is blocked between the kidney and bladder. This condition may cause blood in the urine
- March hematuria secondary to repetitive impacts on the body, usually the feet
- Athletic nephritis secondary to strenuous exercise
- Medications can cause red discoloration of the urine, but not hematuria. Some examples include: sulfonamides, quinine, rifampin, phenytoin
- Alport syndrome
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