REPEAT TESTING FOR HEMATURIA AND UNDERLYING UROLOGICAL PATHOLOGY

Objective To assess the incidence of urological pathology in a group of patients referred for the investigation of haematuria and whose symptoms had resolved at the time of investigation. Patients and methods The results from examination of 395 patients attending for investigation of haematuria were analysed. The group comprised 198 men and 197 women with a mean age of 51 years (range 19-73). Results In 220 patients (56%) no evidence of haematuria was detected despite its diagnosis in all patients at the time of referral. One-hundred and thirteen patients (51%) without detectable haematuria had urological pathology and 16 of these (14%) had an underlying malignancy in the urinary tract. Conclusion Repeat urine analysis to determine whether haematuria persists has been considered as a way to define a high risk group which requires urgent investigation. Our results clearly indicate that the finding of haematuria, even in one urine specimen, warrants full urological assessment.