EVALUATION OF CELLULAR COMPONENTS OF URINE SAMPLES OF PATIENTS ATTENDING UROLOGY CLINIC OF SPECIALIST HOSPITAL SOKOTO

Abstract

Urinary cytology is a microscopic examination of the exfoliated cells from urinary tract used to detect malignancies, infections, and inflammatory conditions. It is non-invasive, simple to perform, and highly specific for identifying high-grade urothelial carcinoma, although its clinical use in Nigeria remains limited. The aim of the study was to evaluate cellular components of urine samples of patients attending the Urology Clinic at Specialist Hospital Sokoto. This study assessed the cellular components of urine samples from 50 patients attending the Urology Clinic of Specialist Hospital Sokoto using a descriptive cross-sectional design. Midstream urine samples were centrifuged and examined using Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) and Papanicolaou (Pap) stains to evaluate inflammatory cells and epithelial morphology. Socio-demographic data were obtained through structured questionnaires. The findings showed varying degrees of inflammatory cell infiltration, from mild to severe, indicating different levels of urinary tract irritation or infection. Pap-stained smears revealed normal epithelial morphology in some samples, while others displayed poor nuclear staining, epithelial cell clustering, or absence of epithelial cells, suggesting reduced exfoliation or suboptimal specimen quality. Older adults, males, and individuals with low educational levels were more frequently affected. The study concludes that urinary cytology is effective for identifying inflammatory and epithelial changes and should be more widely integrated into routine urological assessments, alongside improved sample collection practices.