Pathology | Normal Histology - [click on image(s) below]
Renal Pelvis and Ureter
Lined by normal urothelium (transitional epithelium), which consists of three cell types:
Superficial or "umbrella" cells: oriented parallel to the basement membrane; may be binucleate
Intermediate cells: oriented perpendicular to basement membrane; prominent desmosomal junctions
Basal cells: low cuboidal; adjacent to basement membrane
Renal pelvis gathers urine from collecting ducts and passes it on to ureters
Both renal pelvis and ureters contain smooth muscle that contracts to force urine from kidney to bladder
Ureter has "star-shaped" lumen surrounded by two layers of smooth muscle for the proximal 2/3 of its length, and three layers of muscle for the final 1/3 of its length to the bladder.
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![](Javascript:PopUp('imagepopup.cfm?imagenumber=hist11.jpg&detail=Normal Ureter: Note star-shaped lumen lined by two well-defined muscular layers. As the ureter approaches the bladder, a third muscular layer develops. At right, note the normal transitional epithelium, with multinucleated superficial "umbrella" cells'))
![](Javascript:PopUp('imagepopup.cfm?imagenumber=hist12.jpg&detail=Normal Ureter: Note star-shaped lumen lined by two well-defined muscular layers. As the ureter approaches the bladder, a third muscular layer develops. At right, note the normal transitional epithelium, with multinucleated superficial "umbrella" cells'))