Proteinuria

The finding of proteinuria should prompt a microscopic examination of the urine sediment. Proteinuria may be found alone or in combination with formed elements such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and cellular casts. Perhaps the most important distinction to make by studying the urinary sediment is between that of the nephrotic sediment seen with nephrotic syndrome or nephrotic-range proteinuria compared with the nephritic sediment observed commonly with glomerulonephritis.