Etiology of hematuria in childhood

Aim: The aim was evaluating the causes of hematuria, showing the consequence of the prognosis and differential diagnosis and preventing unnecessary invasive tests. Material and Method: A retrospective study was conducted in patients aged between 4 months and 16 years who referred to the nephrology clinic with the complaint of hematuria between January 1999 and June 2004. The patients were grouped as fallows: macroscopic hematuria, asymptomatic isolated microscopic hematuria, microscopic hematuria with clinical findings and asymptomatic microscopic hematuria with proteinuria. Results: Macroscopic and microscopic hematuria were detected in 136 and 164 patients, respectively. The cases were diagnosed as glomerular diseases (34.3%), urinary stone disease and crystalluria (27.4%), infections (12%), and anatomic abnormalities (10%). The most common cause of hematuria was crystalluria in isolated microscopic hematuria group and glomeruler diseases in the other groups. Renal biopsy was performed to 33 patients. Glomerulopathy was detected in 32 cases. The duration of hematuria was 614 +/- 681 and 135 +/- 384 days in biopsy performed group or not, respectively. Conclusions: Glomerular diseases were stated as the most common causes of hematuria in childhood. Urinary stone disease, crystalluria and infections were other causes of hematuria in our study group. In long-term follow-up renal biopsy should be considered in selected cases. (Turk Arch Ped 2010; 45: 246-51)