skip to main content
RadInfo Logo Home

Hematuria

“Hematuria” is the word used for describing blood in the urine. In small amounts, blood in the urine is considered normal.

Hematuria is divided into two categories. Gross hematuria is when a person can see blood in the urine. Microhematuria is when the blood can only be seen by a microscope. The blood can come from anywhere along the urinary tract. The causes are divided into nephrogenic (from the kidneys) and urogenic (from the bladder).

For microhematuria, individuals with no risk factors and with a known cause for the blood may not require an imaging test. Examples of known causes of microhematuria include strenuous exercise, current or recent menstruation, or infection or viral illness. In some cases, a CT of abdomen and pelvis without intravenous (IV) contrast may be appropriate.

For individuals with risk factors and without a known cause of microhematuria, a CT urography (also known as CTU, a special CT to see the urinary tract) without and with IV contrast is usually appropriate. Other types of imaging may be appropriate and include MRU (MRI urography) without and with contrast, CT of the abdomen and pelvis without and with contrast, CT of the abdomen and pelvis without contrast, and ultrasound (US) of the kidneys and bladder.

For pregnant women with microhematuria, US of the kidneys and bladder is usually appropriate. MRU without contrast may be appropriate.

For individuals with gross hematuria, blood that is directly visible in the urine, a CTU without and with contrast and MRU without and with contrast are usually appropriate. Other CT, MRI, and US imaging examinations may be appropriate.

— By Kristin Jordan Moore and Khushboo Jhala, MD, MBA. This information originally appeared in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

This page was reviewed on December 15, 2021

Sponsored By

Please note

RadiologyInfo.org is not a medical facility. Please contact your physician with specific medical questions or for a referral to a radiologist or other physician. To locate a medical imaging or radiation oncology provider in your community, you can search the ACR-accredited facilities database.

This website does not provide cost information. The costs for specific medical imaging tests, treatments and procedures may vary by geographic region. Discuss the fees associated with your prescribed procedure with your doctor, the medical facility staff and/or your insurance provider to get a better understanding of the possible charges you will incur.

Web page review process: This Web page is reviewed regularly by a physician with expertise in the medical area presented and is further reviewed by committees from the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR), comprising physicians with expertise in several radiologic areas.

Outside links: For the convenience of our users, RadiologyInfo.org provides links to relevant websites. RadiologyInfo.org, RSNA and ACR are not responsible for the content contained on the web pages found at these links.