Normally, urine is some shade of yellow with acid urine usually a darker colour than alkaline urine. Pathologically, it may be any colour.
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Differential Diagnosis
| Urine Colour | Reference | Causes |
| Green-yellow (olive) | ||
| Green | Unusual Urine 002 Propofol infusion syndrome | Drugs: Cimetidine, Promethazine, Amitriptyline, Flutamide, Indomethacin, Methocarbamol, Methylene blue, Mitoxantrone, Propofol, Phenylbutazone, Triamterene Condition: Hartnup Disease, Indicanemia, Indicanuria Infection: Pseudomonas Infection Dyes: Carbolic Acid, Flavine derivatives, Indigo Blue, Methylene Blue, Resorcinol Other: Clorets, Listerine, Magnesium Salicylate, Asparagus |
| Orange | Unusual Urine 001 | Drugs: Idarubicin, Ferrioxamine, Oxamniquine, Phenazopyridine, Rifampicin, Sulfasalazine, Warfarin Food/supplements: Carotenes, B-complex vitamins, Senna, Rhubarb, Beets and blackberries Condition (hypercarotenemia): Diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hypothyroidism, porphyria |
| Red | Haematuria | Stones: (calculi in the renal pelvis, ureter or bladder) Malignancy— TCC, RCC, Wilms Trauma—blunt or penetrating trauma to the abdomen or pelvis; a catheter will commonly cause haematuria. BPH is a common cause of intermittent gross haematuria Renal: Primary renal disease (e.g. glomerulonephritis; including IgA-related, membranous, mesangiocapillary, focal and minimal change). Renal disease associated with / due to / secondary to systemic vasculitis (e.g. SLE, polyarteritis nodosa), Papillary necrosis secondary to analgesic nephropathy or diabetic nephrosclerosis. Hereditary (e.g. Alport’s syndrome). Infection: Pyelonephritis, UTI, pyonephrosis, cystitis, prostatitis, TB, schistosomiasis Coagulopathy: Anticoagulation, Inherited defect (e.g. haemophilia, Von Willebrand’s), Acquired defect (e.g. DIC, thrombocytopenia). |
| Red-Brown | Unusual Urine 004 | Drugs: Levadopa, nitrofurantoin, metronidazole Condition: Rhabdomyolosis (myoglobinuria), bile pigment Other: Fava beans |
| Brown-Black | Brown-Black Urine | |
| Purple | Shades of purpleness | Infection: Bacteria such as Providencia stuartii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and enterococcus species. Condition: Hartnup Disease, Indicanemia, Indicanuria |
| Black | Black Urine (TPR) | Drugs: Stimulant laxatives (e.g. cascara, senna) Condition: Alkaptonuria, methemoglobinuria Other: Melanin |
| Milky | Pyuria Image | Pyuria |
| Pale Yellow (Straw) | ||
| Light Yellow | ||
| Yellow |
About Mike Cadogan
