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Kidney

Squamous epithelial cells in your urine: what they say about your urine sample

Squamous epithelial cells are large cells with an irregular shape and a small nucleus, and in your urine they are thought to come from the surface of your genitals, according to a 2020 US study.

When squamous epithelial cells were in a urine sample, the other urine values were less accurate in that study, among emergency-department patients; few or no cells is what you expect. Only a urine test shows how many are in your urine.

Certe measures squamous epithelial cells with a flow cytometer and keeps below 1 per microlitre (µL) as the reference value. According to the NVKC, you get the best sample by first passing a little urine into the toilet and only then catching some.

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Squamous epithelial cells are large, irregularly shaped cells that are thought to enter the urine from the genital surfaces; their presence can suggest a contaminated sample. Certe gives below 1 per µL as the reference value for squamous epithelial cells counted by flow cytometry.

  • In a US study in an emergency department, other urine values were less accurate when squamous epithelial cells were in the sample.
  • In a US study of adults, the squamous epithelial cell count was a poor predictor of a contaminated urine culture.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: what Dutch laboratories use

There is no nationally agreed reference value; this is what individual laboratories publish.

Reference ranges by group, in /ul
Certe · Everyone · a limit, not a range < 1 /uL
1
0 1.1 /ul

Source: Certe

Each value as the laboratory itself publishes it, retrieved in 2026.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: what this test measures

A count of squamous epithelial cells in your urine shows how many of these cells are in the sample, at Certe in cells per microlitre (µL). According to the NVKC, the Dutch society for clinical chemistry, a urine sediment, looking at undissolved particles under the microscope, usually comes after a urine strip, and the sediment is only examined when the strip shows something positive.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: why this value matters

Squamous epithelial cells in your urine suggest contamination of the sample, according to a 2005 US review. In a 2020 US study in one emergency department, urine cultures were contaminated much more often when squamous epithelial cells were present in the sample.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: how the blood test works

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Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: when is testing worthwhile?

A urine test with a squamous epithelial cell count fits symptoms that point to your kidneys or urinary tract according to the NVKC, such as fever, pain when passing urine or blood in your urine.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: symptoms of a high or low value

Low Levels

Few or no squamous epithelial cells in your urine is the result you expect; Certe keeps below 1 per µL as the reference value.

High Levels

With more than 8 squamous epithelial cells per low-power field, urine testing pointed to bacteria in the urine less reliably, according to a 2016 US study of adults, in samples whose culture was not contaminated. Bacteria in a urine sediment should be confirmed with targeted microbiological testing of a fresh, sterile urine sample, according to the NVKC.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: causes of a low or high value

What raises the value

  • Contamination while catching the sample

    Squamous epithelial cells in the sample are thought to come from the genital surfaces; in a study, samples with these cells more often gave a contaminated culture.

  • Female sex

    In an emergency-department study, women more often had squamous epithelial cells in the urine than men.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: lifestyle and this value

For a urine sample in which squamous epithelial cells are counted, the NVKC advises washing first, so that no bacteria or skin cells get in. Wash your penis or vagina with water, without soap, pass a little urine into the toilet first and then catch some urine in a clean pot, preferably the second morning urine.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: frequently asked questions

Do many squamous epithelial cells mean I have an infection?

No, many squamous epithelial cells in your urine do not prove an infection: according to a 2005 US review, they suggest a contaminated sample.

Urine Squamous Epithelial Cells: sources

  1. Certe, Bepalingenwijzer (referentiewaarden per bepaling), bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl, geraadpleegd 2026-10-01 (retrieved 2026) bepalingenwijzer.certe.nl
  2. Maher PJ, et al. Squamous epithelial cell presence reduces accuracy of urinalysis for prediction of positive urine cultures. Am J Emerg Med 2020;38(7):1384-1388. (retrieved 2026) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

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These panels measure values from the same category as this marker.

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