My husband has had type 1 diabetes for many years. He now has blood in his urine, and we would like to know what is this caused from.

Blood in the urine is either macroscopic (which means it can be seen with the naked eye) or microscopic (where it is picked up by the microscope or test strips but not the naked eye). When either of these forms of blood in the urine persists, this should be investigated to determine the cause. A urinalysis is the first step.

A variety of problems may be causing blood in the urine. Any inflammation, infection, or injury to the urinary tract can cause this. Therefore, we frequently recommend visualization with an ultrasound or an IVP [intravenous pyelogram]. Since an IVP involves dye, this may be a concern to patients with diabetes who already have a kidney problem from diabetes. Stones, infection of the bladder or kidney, or tumors along the urinary tract are possibilities. If nothing appears on ultrasound or IVP, the next step is to have cystoscopy (a procedure where a scope is placed in the bladder to actually look at the inside) performed by a urologist. This problem is something your husband should not put off having studied.

JTL