Differential diagnosis of reddish brown urine
What is the differential diagnosis in a patient with reddish brown urine?
The differential diagnosis for red-brown urine is broad.
Most cases involve the presence of heme pigment in the urine, or food or drugs that alter the color of the urine.
Some of the more common causes of red-brown urine are as follows:
• Heme pigment: Gross hematuria, hemoglobinuria, myoglobinuria, bile pigments, porphyria
• Foods: Beets, rhubarb, food coloring, fava beans, blackberries
• Drugs: Rifampin, phenolphthalein, vitamin B 12 , phenytoin, deferoxamine, doxorubicin, chloroquine, methyldopa, levodopa, metronidazole, nitrofurantoin, iron sorbitol