Carcinoid Urinary Infection

Frequency and urgency of urination can signal a bladder infection or urinary tract infection, but it can also be something more dangerous. Several problems cause urinary tract symptoms, from the common urinary tract infection to the rare carcinoid tumor.

Urine

• Urine samples show signs of pus and occasionally blood if a patient has a urinary tract infection, or UTI. A lack of pus in the urine rules out an infection and indicates a need for further tests for tumors or other maladies.

Kidneys

• Urinary tract tumors and infections may also occur in other locations like the kidney. Doctors may check the blood for the functioning of the kidneys. The primary test used is the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) that indicates the amount of kidney function.

Carcinoid Tests

• Doctors take blood tests to see if it contains Chromogranin A, a byproduct created when serotonin breaks down. Carcinoid tumors, slow-growing tumors, produce serotonin. High levels indicate a carcinoid tumor, a rare condition.

Blood

• Blood tests narrow down the location of the tumor in the urinary tract. High levels of creatinine, above 1.5 mg/dL, indicate the kidneys aren't functioning correctly and the carcinoid tumor might be there.

Symptoms of UTI

• Urgent, frequent urination with a burning sensation and back or pelvic discomfort are primary symptoms of a UTI. The urine has an odor and is often cloudy or contains blood. Sometimes the patient has a fever.

Symptoms of a Carcinoid Tumor

• Skin flushing is a primary symptom. Other indications of a carcinoid tumor are: bluish skin, heart problems, asthma symptoms, blood in the urine and shortness of breath. These symptoms are caused by the serotonin secreted by the tumor.