Histo: Urology Flashcards
What are urinary calculi?
Crystal aggregates in the renal collecting ducts.
NOTE: lifetime incidence of 15%
List the three main types of urinary tract calculi in order of prevalence.
- Calcium oxalate (Weddelite) - 75%
- Magnesium ammonium phosphate - 15%
- Urate - 5%
List some underlying conditions that can lead to the formation of calcium oxalate stones.
- Absorptive hypercalciuria - excessive calcium absorption from the gut
- Renal hypercalciuria - impaired absorption of calcium in the proximal renal tubule
- Hypercalcaemia (e.g. hyperparathyroidism)
Describe how magensium ammonium phosphate stones are formed.
- Results from infection by a urease-producing organism (e.g. Proteus)
- Ammonia produced by the bacteria alkalinises the urine leading to precipitation of magnesium ammonium phosphate stones
- They can become large (e.g. staghorn calculi)
- NOTE: they are also called triple stones
Which patients are predisposed to the formation of urate stones?
- Gout
- Rapid cell turnover (e.g. chemotherapy)
NOTE: however, most patients with urate stones will not have these risk factors
Where do urinary calculi stones tend to get stuck within the urinary tract?
- Pelvic-ureteric junction
- Pelvic brim
- Vesico-ureteric junction
What are the consequences of large stones within the urinary tract?
- Obstruction
- Risk of infection
- CKD
List three types of benign renal neoplasm.
- Papillary adenoma
- Renal oncocytoma
- Angiomyolipoma
Define papillary adenoma.
- Benign epithelial kidney tumour composed of papillae and/or tubules
- They must be <15 mm in size
- They tend to be well circumscribed
What are the genetic associations of papillary adenomas?
- Trisomy 7 and 17
- Loss of Y chromosome
What is a renal oncocytoma?
- Benign epithelial kidney tumour composed of oncocytic cells
- They are usually well-circumscribed and usually sporadic
NOTE: often an incidental finding
Name a syndrome that is associated with renal oncocytoma.
Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome
Describe the histological appearance of oncocytes.
Large cells with pink granular cytoplasm and a prominent nucleolus
What is an angiomyolipoma?
- Benign mesenchymal kidney tumour composed of thick-walled blood vessels, smooth muscle and fat
- Derived from perivascular epitheloid cells
NOTE: often an incidental finding but may cause flank pain, haemorrhage and shock (if >4cm)
Which hereditary condition is associated with angiomyolipoma?
Tuberous sclerosis
list some risk factors for renal cell carcinoma.
- Smoking
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Long-term dialysis
- Genetic (e.g. von Hippel Lindau)
How does renal cell carcinoma tend to present?
- Painless haematuria
Name the subtypes of renal cell carcinoma in order of prevalence.
- Clear cell renal carcinoma (70%)
- Papillary renal cell carcinoma (15%)
- Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (5%)
Define clear cell renl carcinoma.
- Epithelial kidney tumour composed of nests of clear cells set in a delicate capillary vascular netwrok
- Grossly apears golden-yellow with haemorrhagic areas
What is a common genetic finding in clear cell renal carcinoma?
Loss of chromosome 3p
Define papillary renal cell carcinoma.
- Epithelial kidney tumour composed of papillae and/or tubules
- By definition >15mm in size
NOTE: this is the malignant counter part of papillary adenoma. They appear grossly as a fragile, friable brown tumour