hematuria

Definition

Blood in the urine, turning a routine bathroom visit into a medical emergency. Whether microscopic or grossly visible, it's never the color you want to see in the toilet bowl.

Example Usage

Gross hematuria prompted further workup including CT urography and cystoscopy to rule out malignancy.

Origin

From Greek 'haima' (blood) + 'ouron' (urine)

Fun Fact

It only takes about 1 mL of blood per liter of urine to make it visibly red—a tiny amount that can cause disproportionate alarm, though sometimes it's justified.

Source: Urology and nephrology clinical terminology

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