Urine Transparency
Urine transparency is an important physical parameter evaluated during urinalysis. Normally, urine should be clear or have a slight opalescent tint.
Cloudiness of urine may indicate the presence of various elements such as:
- mucus,
- salts (urates, phosphates, oxalates),
- bacteria,
- cellular elements (leukocytes, erythrocytes, epithelial cells),
- fat droplets.
Causes of turbidity can be both physiological and pathological. For example, urine may become cloudy after prolonged storage, food intake, physical exertion, as well as in inflammatory and infectious processes of the urinary tract.
To clarify the cause of turbidity, additional tests such as urine sediment microscopy are performed, which help identify characteristic cells, bacteria, or crystals.
Thus, urine transparency is an important diagnostic parameter that helps detect inflammatory diseases, infections, metabolic disorders, and other pathologies.