Broad cast Information and Courses from MediaLab, Inc.
These are the MediaLab courses that cover Broad cast and links to relevant pages within the course.
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| True or false? A cylindroid is present in this slide. | View Page |
| Formation and Significance of Casts Casts are cylindrical bodies formed either in the distal convoluted tubules or the collecting ducts of the kidney. Since the walls of the tubule act as a mold for cast formation, the width of the tubule determines the width of the cast. Thus, narrow casts are formed in the distal tubules while broad casts are formed in the collecting ducts.
The matrix of all casts is thought to be Tamm-Horsfall protein, a glycoprotein secreted by the distal loop of Henle and the distal tubule. This protein entraps cells and granular material of tubular origin.
Very few casts are seen in the urine of a person without renal disease, except for hyaline casts, which may be transiently present after strenuous exercise, and during fever, diuretic therapy, and congestive heart failure.
A significant number of urinary casts usually indicates the presence of renal disease.
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| Waxy Casts Waxy casts appear as cylinders of smooth, highly refractive material. They are yellow, homogeneous and their ends may be square or broken off. Cracks may occur within the cast, giving it a segmented appearance. Waxy casts are believed by some to be the final stage of degeneration of the fine granules of granular casts. Since the granules need time to degrade, this finding implies localized nephron obstruction. Waxy casts are seen in chronic renal failure, and acute and chronic renal allograft rejection. Unusually broad waxy casts are known as renal failure casts. These very broad casts are created in the dilated tubules seen in end-stage renal disease. | View Page |
| Broad Cast Broad casts or "renal failure' casts are formed in the collecting ducts as the result of urinary stasis and are two to six times the size of other types of casts. Any type of cast can be a broad cast. Broad casts are typically seen in patients with advanced renal failure. | View Page |
| Match the following: | View Page |