epithelial-cells-in-urine
Reviewed
This test looks at a sample of your urine under a microscope to count the number of epithelial cells. It is normal to have a small number of certain types of epithelial cells in urine, but a large number may be a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney disease, or other serious medical condition.
Preparation and collection
If your provider has ordered other urine or blood tests, you may need to fast (not eat or drink) for several hours before the test. You may need to stop taking certain medicines before this test, so tell your provider about everything you take. But do not stop taking any medicines unless your provider tells you to. They will let you know if there are any special instructions to follow.
Understanding this test
Use the reference interval and units printed by the laboratory that performed the test. A result outside that interval is not a diagnosis by itself, and a result inside it does not rule out every condition. Your symptoms, history, medicines, timing, and related tests can change what the result means.
- If squamous epithelial cells are in your urine, it may mean your sample was contaminated (cells from another part of the body). This can happen if you do not clean your genital area well enough when collecting your urine sample with the clean catch method.
- A non-normal result does not always mean that you have a medical condition that needs treatment.
What to do next
To learn what your results mean, talk with your provider.
Evidence source
U.S. National Library of Medicine: epithelial-cells-in-urine