Distinguish between Microscopic hematuria vs. Gross Hematuria.
Transient unexplained hematuria
Urinary tract infection
Urethritis
Benign prostatic hyperplasia
Stones / Urinary calculi
Menstruation (contaminated urine)
Exercise
Trauma
Atrophic vaginitis
Bladder cancer
Kidney cancer
Prostate cancer
Prostatitis
Radiation cystitis
Renal infarction;
Renal vein thrombosis
Factitious (finger stick)
Glomerular disease (IgA nephropathy, hereditary nephritis, postinfectious glomerulonephritis)
Hypercalciuria
Polycystic kidney disease; Renal cystic disease
Papillary necrosis (NSAID overuse, diabetes, sickle cell)
Hyperuricosuria
Interstitial nephritis
Medullary sponge kidney
Tuberculosis
Wegener’s granulomatosis
Malignant hypertension
Understanding the Differential Diagnosis
May divide the differential diagnosis into intrarenal and extrarenal causes:
Intrarenal causes: Nephrolithiasis or crystalluria; Neoplasm; Trauma/exercise; Vascular causes (e.g. vascular infarcts, renal vein thrombosis, sickle cell, ruptured hemangioma, etc); Glomerular (IgA, thin BM, PKD)
Extrarenal causes (which are far more common): Nephrolithiasis; Neoplasm (e.g. transitional cell, prostate); Infections (Cystitis, urethritis, prostatitis, Schistosoma haematobium); Trauma (Foley, TURB, etc.); BPH
Further Reading
Am Fam Physician. 2013 Dec 1;88(11):747-754. https://www.aafp.org/afp/2013/1201/p747.html