Identification of Amoxicillin Crystals in Urine: a Case Report.

Background: The case concerns a 30-year-old woman in the 24th week of pregnancy presenting to the medical emergency room with fever and abdominal pain. Urine sediment microscopy revealed the presence of unknown needle-shaped crystals. Methods: Crystals identification was performed by Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy coupled to Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR). Results: Amoxicillin crystals were verified with semiquantitative results of 87.7%. Conclusions: Drug-induced crystalluria is a frequent finding in urine examination and it may be asymptomatic. FTIR spectroscopy is a rapid and specific tool in identification of crystals and could be useful supporting renal disease diagnosis and monitoring drug therapy.