Rat Renal Papillary Structure in Oxalate-Induced Microlithiasis, A Scanning Electron Microscope Study

Abstract

Most commonly, renal stones are found in the renal calyces or pelvis and several of the hypotheses concerning calculogenesis implicate the papilla as having a central role. Attention was first focused on this region of the kidney by Randall^1,2,3, who described minute calculi and calcium plaques on and within renal papilla. Vermeulen et al.^4,5 extended these observations in a series of experiments which suggested that the papillary tip was critical in the formation of various types of stones. However, few current studies are available which explore changes in the renal papilla during experimental calculogenesis. To extend further the knowledge of papillary involvement in lithogenesis we examined structural alterations of the papillary surface during calcium oxalate crystalluria.