Urinary system histopathology

Question 1

What structures are present in Urinary Tract?

Answer 1

• Kidney: glomeruli, tubules, collecting ducts and interstitial connective tissue (blood vessels + fibroblasts)
• Lower Urinary tract: transitional epithelium, smooth-muscle, connective tissue + bvs

Question 2

Which structure in the kidney has no regeneration abilities?

Answer 2

Glomeruli

Question 3

Which cell types are present in the glomerulus?

Answer 3

• Glomerular capillary endothelium
• Podocyte cells: part of filtration barrier
• Mesangial cells: regulate filtration rate by expansion + contraction.

Question 4

Compare the structure of the PCT to the DCT

Answer 4

PCT: highly metabolic, lined by plump cuboidal epithelium, small lumen, vulnerable to ischaemic insult
DCT: less metabolically active, thinner epithelial lining, larger lumen

Question 5

Which 3 components are found in normal interstitial tissue?

Answer 5

• Blood vessels
• Fibroblasts
• Occasional lymphocyte

Question 6

Describe the 4 layers of the bladder wall, from the outside in

Answer 6

• Outer adventitia with fat cells
• Muscle layer: detrusor muscle
• Lamina propria
• Transitional epithelium

Question 7

What is the purpose of the bladder wall having folds?

Answer 7

To accommodate expansion and contraction

Question 8

Observational gross swelling of the urinary tract could lead to finding which additional cells/structures?

Answer 8

• Inflammatory cells
• Fibroblasts (for repair)
• Tumour cells
• Exudate, oedema, cell debris
• Aetiological agents

Question 9

Give examples of how losses affect tissues in the urinary tract?

Answer 9

• losses are going to create spaces
• you may get capsular undulation
• glomerular fibrosis renders the glomerulus and nephron non-functional
• if tubular damage occurs to the basement membrane then regeneration isn’t possible so repairs with fibrosis, the collagen contracts causing shrinkage