urine color

Reference interval

• pale yellow to deep amber, light yellow to pale amber

Clinical significance

• normal color is imparted by urochrome, depending upon how concentrated the urine is
  • dilute urine is light yellow
  • maximally concentrated urine is deep amber
• deep purple urine:
  • porphyria
  • purple urine bag syndrome
    • bag or catheter not urine that is purple
    • Providencia & Klebsiella species produce indoxyl phosphatase that stains synthetic material in urine bags & catheters
    • E coli, Enterococcus, Morganella, Proteus, Pseudomonas species also produce indoxyl phosphatase
    • occurs in elderly with long-term indwelling urinary catheters
• red urine may indicate hematuria (light pink to dark port wine color)
• tea-to-red-brown color urine may be due to myoglobinuria
• brown urine may be due to bilirubinuria
• red-brown urine may be intermediate between light yellow & deep amber
• green urine: propofol, methylene blue
• orange urine: phenazopyridine
• black urine: paraphenylenediamine

More general terms

• urine chemistry test

More specific terms

• red urine

Additional terms

• urine

Component of

• urinalysis (UA)