Myoglobinuria

Excerpt

Myoglobin is an iron-containing heme protein that is present predominantly in the sarcoplasm of skeletal and cardiac muscles. Due to the presence of heme moiety, myoglobin serves as a carrier and store for oxygen in muscle cells of the body. Myoglobin has more affinity for oxygen as compared to hemoglobin. As a result, it can acquire oxygen from hemoglobin, hence transferring it from the blood to the muscle tissues.

As the name suggests, myoglobinuria means the presence of an abnormally excessive amount of myoglobin in the urine. As myoglobin is present in the muscle cells, myoglobinuria is almost invariably associated with damage to the cell membranes of myocytes. This breakdown of the muscle cells is also known as rhabdomyolysis. It leads to the release of myoglobin in the blood, from where it is ultimately filtered by the glomerulus and enters the renal tubule.

In this article, we will look into the etiology, pathophysiology, evaluation, management, and complications of myoglobinuria.