Morphology
Most crystals look like a 6 sided prism and often look like a pointed Pickett from a wooden fence. More than 90% of the crystals in a urine sediment will have this type of morphology. These other shapes are less common than the 6 sided prism, however it is important to be able to quickly identify them in case of emergency.
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Urine microscopy showing calcium oxalate crystals in the urine. Of special interest is the 6 sided three-dimensional morphology which appears as if viewing the top of a picket fence in this image.
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Urine microscopy showing a calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal (dumbbell shaped) and a calcium oxalate dihydrate crystal (envelope shaped) along with several erythrocytes.
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Urine microscopy showing several calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals (dumbbell shaped, some of them clumped) and a calcium oxalate dihydrate crystal (envelope shaped) along with several erythrocytes.
Read more about this topic: Calcium Oxalate
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