HEADS UP! KUB - ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND SONOGRAPHIC EVALUATION

Retroperitoneal Cavity

This is where the kidneys are located.

They are NOT intraperitoneal.

Adrenal Glands

These lie superior to the kidneys.

Attach to the suprarenal artery and vein.

Gerota's Fascia

Also known as Renal Fascia.

Encapsulates the kidneys in a layer of connective tissue.

Pyramids

Inner surface of the medulla.

Folded projections.

Anechoic in ultrasound.

Nephron

Filter the blood and produce urine

Functional units of the kidney

Afferent and efferent arterioles

Located in Bowman's Capsule

Located in cupcake structure

Takes blood to and from the glomerulus

Ureter

Takes urine from kidney to bladder

25 cm in length

Trigone of the bladder

Two ureters

One urethra

UPJ (Ureteropelvic Junction)

Stone located at the renal pelvis.

Hydro within the pelvis, but ureter is not dilated

UVJ (Ureterovesicle Junction)

Stone located at the bladder.

There will be a dilated ureter!

Nutcracker Syndrome

Compression of the left renal vein.

Left renal vein courses anterior to the aorta and posterior to the SMA.

Right Renal Artery

Courses posterior to the IVC. It is circular in a longitudinal scan of the IVC.

Urinary Bladder

Large muscular bag

Collects and stores urine

Has two ureters that enter and one urethra that exits.

Creates trigone!

Excretion

Process of separating and removing substances harmful to the body, including metabolic wastes

Exits the body!

Urinalysis

Test that checks renal function through urine

Erythrocytes

Another name for red blood cell

Biconcave disc

Hematocrit

A measure of the percentage of red blood cells in the total volume of blood.

This drops if there is internal bleeding

Serum Creatinine

Lab test for kidney function

More reliable than BUN due to be more variable when it comes to diet and hydration.

Renal Sinus

Echogenic middle portion of kidney

Lipmatosis occurs here

Renal parenchyma surrounds this

Contains calyces, infundibula, pelvis, vessels

Renal Artery

This vessel is posterior and superior when entering the renal hilum

Interlobar Arteries

These arteries run between alongside the pyramids.

Arcuate Arteries

These arteries run at the base of the pyramids

Used during a renal doppler

Renal Cortex

Located between the capsule and medulla

The most outer part of the kidney

Used for liver comparison

Hypertrophied Column of Bertin

Normal variant, often mistaken for RCC

Portion of the cortex appears enlarged and protrudes into the renal sinus

Dromedary Hump

Shaped by the left kidney

Bulge of cortical tissue on the lateral border of the kidney

Junctional Parenchymal Defect

Triangular, echogenic area located within the cortex

Shark tooth!

Fetal Lobulation

Looks like an infant kidney

Indented in between the calyces, giving the kidneys a slightly lobulated appearance.

Renal Sinus Lipomatosis

Excessive fat in the renal sinus

Parenchymal atrophy

Extrarenal Pelvis

Mistaken for hydro

Central cystic area

Horseshoe kidney

Kidneys connected at isthmus

Connects anterior to aorta

Mostly superior poles are connected

Pancake kidney

Both kidneys are completely fused into a single, flattened mass.

Typically located in the pelvis.

A breakfast food!

Pelvic Kidney

Kidney located near the bladder.

Typically in the RLQ, but can be seen in the LLQ.

Duplicated collecting system/Duplex Kidney

Congenital condition where a kidney has two ureters (tubes that carry urine to the bladder) instead of the usual one.

Two, echogenic renal sinuses.

Renal Hypoplasia/Hypoplastic Kidney

Smaller kidney

NOT atrophic

Cystic, Solid, or Complex

Categorization of renal masses

What is the mass made up of?

Three words!

Another word for anechoic.

Another word for mixed echogenicity.

Renal Aspiraltion

This is a procedure

Taking fluid off a cyst to evaluation its components

Ureterocele

Cystlike enlargement of the lower end of the ureter

Congenital or aquired

Can be ectopic

Can produce candlestick appearance

Cystoscopy

Used to examine the bladder because it can diagnose early neoplasms.

Performed transabdominally

3-6 mm measurement

Normal measurement of the bladder wall

It's a range of two numbers

9-12 cm long

Normal length of the adult kidney

It's a range of two numbers.

Interlobular Veins

Exit the cortex of the kidney

Take blood away! Not an artery