A result of 6-10 squamous epithelial cells on a urinalysis report means the lab saw 6 to 10 of these cells per high-power field (HPF) when examining your urine under a microscope. The normal range is 0 to 2 per HPF, so 6-10 is elevated. In most cases, this signals that the urine sample picked up skin cells from the genital area during collection, rather than pointing to a disease or infection.
Where These Cells Come From
Squamous epithelial cells are flat, scale-like cells that cover surfaces throughout your body, including your skin, the lining of your mouth, and the outer portions of the genital and urinary tracts. They are not cells from deep inside the urinary system. When they show up in a urine sample, they almost always got there because the sample came in contact with the skin around the urethral opening, the vaginal area, or the foreskin.
This is different from the other two types of epithelial cells that can appear in urine. Transitional cells line the bladder and ureters, and finding many of them could suggest irritation or other issues in those structures. Renal tubular cells come from the kidneys themselves, and their presence is more clinically significant because it can point to kidney damage. Squamous cells, by contrast, are the least concerning of the three because they originate from external skin surfaces rather than from internal organs.
Why 6-10 Usually Means Contamination
Labs consider anything above about 5 squamous epithelial cells per HPF a sign that the sample may be contaminated. A count of 6-10 falls into that territory. “Contaminated” sounds alarming, but it simply means cells from outside the urinary tract mixed into the specimen. It does not mean the sample was dirty or unsanitary in a harmful way.
When a sample is flagged for contamination, other results on the same urinalysis become less reliable. For example, if your provider ordered the test to check for a urinary tract infection, bacteria or white blood cells found alongside a high squamous cell count might have come from the skin or vaginal area rather than the bladder. Your provider may ask you to repeat the test with a cleaner collection technique before making any treatment decisions.
What Your Provider Will Likely Do
If the squamous cell count is the only unusual finding on your report, most providers will simply note it and may not take any further action. It is not, on its own, a diagnosis of anything. If there are other abnormalities on the urinalysis, such as elevated white blood cells, bacteria, or blood, your provider will weigh whether those findings are trustworthy given the contamination or whether a repeat sample is needed.
In some cases, particularly for people with vaginal discharge or skin irritation, squamous cells can end up in urine even with careful collection. Conditions like vaginitis or general inflammation around the genital area increase the number of cells that shed from those surfaces, making contamination more likely even when the collection technique is good. If repeat samples keep showing elevated squamous cells along with symptoms like burning, itching, or unusual discharge, your provider may look into those possibilities.
How to Get a Cleaner Sample Next Time
The standard way to minimize squamous cells is the “clean catch midstream” method. The key steps differ slightly depending on anatomy, but the principles are the same: clean the genital area first, start urinating into the toilet, then catch the middle portion of the stream in the cup.
- If you have a vagina: Use two fingers to spread the labia apart. Wipe from front to back with the sterile wipes provided, cleaning between the folds and then over the urethral opening. Keep the labia spread while you begin urinating into the toilet. After the first few seconds, move the cup into the stream and collect until it is about half full.
- If you have a penis: Clean the head of the penis with a sterile wipe, pulling back the foreskin if uncircumcised. Start urinating into the toilet, then move the cup into the stream to collect the midstream portion.
Ideally, urine should have been in your bladder for 2 to 3 hours before collection, which gives a more concentrated and representative sample. Avoid touching the inside of the cup or lid at any point.
When the Number Matters More
A count of 6-10 is mildly elevated. Samples that come back with 15, 20, or more squamous cells per HPF are much more strongly suggestive of contamination, and providers will almost always want a fresh specimen. At the 6-10 level, the degree of contamination is relatively modest. If the rest of your urinalysis looks normal, this result is unlikely to change your care in any meaningful way.
The bottom line: a squamous epithelial cell count of 6-10 per HPF is above the normal range of 0-2 and most commonly reflects sample collection technique rather than a medical problem. It is one of the most frequent “abnormal” findings on routine urinalysis, and in the vast majority of cases, it is nothing to worry about.