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Squamous Epithelial Cells

Epithelial cells are a type of cell that lines the surfaces of your body, such as your skin and your hair. They can be present on your skin, blood arteries, urinary tract, and internal organs, among other places.

Small, flat cells that resemble fish scales are found in the tissue that forms the skin’s surface as well as in the linings of hollow organs, including the lungs and digestive tracts. Squamous cells are also found in the lining of the respiratory and digestive tracts. Squamous cell carcinomas account for the majority of cancers of the anus, cervix, head and neck, and vagina. It is important to understand that cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant skin tumour that arises from epithelial keratinocytes and shows some degree of maturation toward keratin formation. It is the second most common type of skin cancer, trailing only basal cell carcinoma in terms of prevalence.

Squamous Epithelial Cells

  1. Squamous epithelial cells are large, polygonal cells with small round nuclei that are found in the squamous epithelium. They have a tendency to fold in on themselves and are sometimes mistaken for casts. Because of their large size, they can easily be distinguished from casts in the environment.

  2. Urethral or vaginal contamination is common in samples taken after being voided or catheterized.

  3. Small numbers can be found in the urine sediment of females at any time of year, and increased numbers can be found in the urine sediment of females during estrus.

  4. The presence of epithelial cells from the skin in urine sediment obtained by cystocentesis is occasionally observed, and it is assumed that these cells were aspirated during cystocentesis.

  5. In most cases, it has no diagnostic significance.

Uses of Epithelial cells

A urine epithelial cells test is a component of a urinalysis, which is a test that examines the presence of several chemicals in your urine. It is possible that your urine sample will be examined visually, that it will be tested for particular chemicals, and that it will be examined under a microscope to look for urine cells. A urine test for epithelial cells is performed as part of a microscopic examination of urine.

Purpose of using epithelial cells in a urine test

An epithelial cell in a urine test may have been requested by your health-care practitioner as part of your routine checkup, or it may have been ordered if your visual or chemical urine tests returned abnormal results. If you are experiencing signs of a urinary or kidney disease, you may also require this test. Among these signs and symptoms are:

  1. Urination that is too frequent and/or uncomfortable

  2. Pain in the abdomen

  3. Back pain is a common occurrence.

What takes place during an epithelial cell in a urine test is described below.

  1. Your health-care professional will need to take a sample of your urine for testing purposes. After your appointment, you will be given a container to collect the urine and special instructions to ensure that the sample is completely sterile after it has been collected. These instructions are referred to as the “clean catch approach” in some circles. The following are the steps involved in the clean catch method:

  2. Hands should be washed.

  3. You should use a cleansing pad provided by your healthcare professional to clean your genital area. Men should clean the tip of their penis with a tissue. Women should clean their labia from front to back by opening their labia.

  4. Begin urinating into the toilet bowl as soon as possible.

  5. Make sure to place the collection container under the urine stream you’re using.

  6. Collect at least an ounce or two of urine and place it in a jar with a lid. The container will be labelled with the quantity that will be contained within it.

  7. Complete your urination into the toilet.

  8. As directed by your health care practitioner, return the sample container to him or her.

Infection of the urinary tract

  1. Yeast infection is a yeast infection.

  2. Kidney disease is a serious condition.

  3. Liver disease is a medical condition that affects the liver.

  4. Cancers of a particular sort

  5. In the event that your findings are outside of the normal range, it does not necessarily imply that you have a medical condition that necessitates medical attention. It is possible that additional testing will be required before a diagnosis can be made. Consult with your health-care practitioner to learn more about the significance of your results.

Conclusion

The epithelial cells that lining the urinary system are classified into three categories. Transitional cells, renal tubular cells, and squamous cells are all names for these cells. Having squamous epithelial cells in your urine may indicate that your sample was tainted with something harmful. This indicates that the sample contains cells from the urethra (in males) or the vaginal entrance (in females), respectively (in women). When employing the clean catch approach, this can occur if the cleaning is not done thoroughly enough.

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Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the NEET UG Examination Preparation.

Are squamous epithelial cells capable of becoming cancerous?

Answer: It is important to understand that cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant skin tumours that ...Read full

Is it normal to have squamous epithelial cells in one's urinary excretory system?

Answer: Epithelial cells naturally shed from the surface of your skin. When you have one to five squamous epithelial...Read full

What does it indicate if you have squamous epithelial cells in your urine and what does that mean?

Answer: Having squamous epithelial cells in your urine may indicate that your sample was tainted with something harm...Read full

What are epithelial cells in a urine test and how do they work?

Answer: Epithelial cells are a type of cell that lines the surfaces of your body, such as your skin and your hair. T...Read full

In addition to the information above, is there anything else I should know about epithelial cells in urine tests?

Answer: The epithelial cells that lining the urinary system are classified into three categories. Transitional cells...Read full