THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF HEMATURIA

Abstract

Hematuria is not a disease but a symptom; it cna occur in association with systemic disease, with intrinsic disease of the genitourinary tract, or with disease localized in other parts of the body. In the author's experience, the nature of the underlying cause varied strikingly with age. In children between the ages of 1 and 5 years cystitis was the most frequent cause; in children between 5 and 1 0 it was glomerulonephritis. From age 11 to 40 inflammatory lesions, with cystitis and pyelonephritis, predominated in both sexes, but a difference between the sexes was found as regards the distribution of the less frequent conditions. In men from 41 to 60 various vesical neoplasms were the most frequent cause; from 61 to 70 benign or malignant forms of prostatism predominated. These results confirm the conclusions of previous investigators as to the gravity of hematuria as a symptom. A physician confronted with it should make sure that he is not dealing with a serious organic lesion or a malignant tumor.