Renal Tubular Epithelial Cell (RTE) casts appear in conditions where there is injury to the kidney tubules, such as acute tubular necrosis, viral nephritis, hepatorenal syndrome, or kidney transplant rejection.
Appearance
RTE casts contain renal tubular epithelial cells in a protein matrix. If the cells are too degraded to properly identify as RTEs, the casts may simply be called cellular casts.
Lookalikes
White blood cell casts can look similar to RTE casts. However, white blood cells lack the large nucleus found in renal cells.
RTE Cast Gallery
