Amorphous urates correspond to a type of crystal that can be identified in the urine test and which may arise due to the cooling of the sample or due to the acidic pH of the urine, and it is often possible to observe in the test the presence of other crystals, such as uric acid and calcium oxalate.
The appearance of amorphous urate does not cause any symptoms, being verified only by examining type 1 urine. However, when there is a large amount of urate, it is possible to visualize the color change from urine to pink.
How to identify
The presence of amorphous urates in the urine does not cause symptoms, being identified by the type 1 urine test, the EAS, also called the Abnormal Sediment Elements test, in which the sample of the second stream of urine is collected and delivered to the laboratory for analysis.
Through this examination, the pH of the urine is checked, which in this case is acid, in addition to the presence of amorphous urate and crystals, such as the uric acid crystal and, sometimes, calcium oxalate, microscopically. In addition, other characteristics of urine are verified, such as the presence, absence and quantity of epithelial cells, microorganisms, leukocytes and erythrocytes. Understand how the urine test is done.
Amorphous urate is identified in the urine as being a kind of granules ranging from yellow to black and which is visualized microscopically in the urine. When there is a large amount of amorphous urate, it is possible that there is a macroscopic change, that is, it is possible that the excess of amorphous urate in the urine is identified by changing the color of the urine to pink.
When appears
The appearance of amorphous urate is directly related to the pH of the urine, being frequent to observe when the pH is equal to or greater than 5.5. In addition, other situations that can lead to the appearance of amorphous urate and other crystals are:
- Hyperprotein diet; Low water intake; Gout; Chronic kidney inflammation; Kidney stone; Gallstone; Liver disease; Severe kidney diseases; Diet rich in vitamin C; Diet rich in calcium;
Amorphous urate may also appear as a consequence of cooling the sample, because lower temperatures favor the crystallization of some of the components of urine, with the formation of urate. Therefore, it is recommended that the urine be analyzed within 2 hours of collection and not refrigerated to avoid interference with the result.
How the treatment is done
There is no treatment for amorphous urate but for its cause. Therefore, it is important that the result of the urine test is analyzed together with the symptoms that may be being presented by the person and the result of other tests that may have been requested by the urologist or general practitioner in order to start the most appropriate treatment.
If it is due to dietary issues, a change in habits is recommended, avoiding foods with a high amount of protein or rich in calcium. On the other hand, in the case of liver or kidney problems, in addition to adequate food, the doctor may recommend the use of medicines according to the cause of the amorphous urate.
When amorphous urate is identified alone, without any other changes in the EAS, it is possible that it is due to temperature variations or high time between collection and analysis, in which case it is recommended to repeat the test to confirm the result.
