Embryology and Anatomy Although embryology of the urinary tract is complex and often baffling, its important features are actually rather simple. The ureteral bud arises from the mesonephric duct early in gestation and forms the ureter, pelvicalyceal system, and renal…
Diffuse parenchymal abnormalities of one or both kidneys are often recognized during renal imaging. A number of disease processes may result in abnormalities of renal size and renal shape, with or without associated abnormalities in the renal collecting system. Diagnosis…
Detection of renal masses should be a high-priority task for radiologists examining the abdomen. Despite a great deal of research and many innovations in the treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), the disease remains resistant to radiation therapy and chemotherapy.…
Normal urinary structures develop through of a series of complex, staged embryologic processes. Because of this complexity of urinary tract development, congenital abnormalities occur commonly, in up to 10% of individuals. Because the kidneys and ureters develop simultaneously, an in…
Optimal radiologic investigation of the genitourinary system requires a combination of diverse but complementary examinations that evaluate form and function. This chapter presents an overview of diagnostic tests that are commonly used to evaluate genitourinary disease. First, the pharmacology of…
Anatomy The abdominal cavity is divided into both intraperitoneal and retroperitoneal spaces. The peritoneal cavity is lined by visceral and parietal peritoneum (a thin mesothelial membrane) and lies within the abdominal cavity, with two potential spaces, the greater and lesser…
The pancreas is an obliquely positioned retroperitoneal organ containing a tail, body, neck, head, and uncinate. It has a main duct (normal measurements, 2 to 3 mm in diameter) running the length of the pancreas from the tail proximally to…
The biliary tree develops embryologically along the course of the portal venous anatomy and is defined proximally by right and left intrahepatic biliary ducts, which join to form the common hepatic duct. A side appendage, the gallbladder, is attached to…
The spleen is part of the mononuclear phagocytic system (formally known as reticuloendothelial) and the largest lymphatic organ. Its red pulp is responsible for red blood cell and platelet metabolism and acts as a monocyte reservation. Its white pulp is…
The liver, as the largest and most complex organ in the abdomen, can present with diverse abnormalities. The most common clinical conundrum is the characterization of single or multiple hepatic lesions, primarily into benign or malignant disease, but there are…