ABSTRACT
Purpose The objective of this paper is to analyze the structure of the ureter in normal and anencephalic human fetuses. Materials and Methods We studied 16 ureters from 8 human fetuses without congenital anomalies aged 16 to 27 weeks post-conception (WPC) and 14 ureters from 7 anencephalic fetuses aged 19 to 33 WPC. The ureters were dissected and embedded in paraffin, from which 5 µm thick sections were obtained and stained with Masson trichrome, to quantify smooth muscle cells (SMC) and to determine the ureteral lumen area, thickness and ureteral diameter. The samples were also stained with Weigert Resorcin Fucsin (to study elastic fibers) and Picro-Sirius Red with polarization and immunohistochemistry analysis of the collagen type III fibers to study collagen. Stereological analysis of collagen, elastic system fibers and SMC were performed on the sections. Data were expressed as volumetric density (Vv-%). The images were captured with an Olympus BX51 microscope and Olympus DP70 camera. The stereological analysis was done using the Image Pro and Image J programs. For biochemical analysis, samples were fixed in acetone, and collagen concentrations were expressed as micrograms of hydroxyproline per mg of dry tissue. Means were statistically compared using the unpaired t-test (p < 0.05). Results The ureteral epithelium was well preserved in the anencephalic and control groups. We did not observe differences in the transitional epithelium in the anencephalic and control groups. There was no difference in elastic fibers and total collagen distribution in normal and anencephalic fetuses. SMC concentration did not differ significantly (p = 0.1215) in the anencephalic and control group. The ureteral lumen area (p = 0.0047), diameter (p = 0.0024) and thickness (p = 0.0144) were significantly smaller in anencephalic fetuses. Conclusions Fetuses with anencephaly showed smaller diameter, area and thickness. These differences could indicate ...
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Anencephaly/pathology , Fetus/ultrastructure , Ureter/abnormalities , Case-Control Studies , Collagen/analysis , Elastic Tissue/embryology , Immunohistochemistry , Myocytes, Smooth Muscle , Statistics, Nonparametric , Ureter/embryology , Ureter/ultrastructureABSTRACT
Se revisaron retrospectivamente los resultados del tratamiento de 34 niños de doble sistema colector, entre los que predominó la duplicación completa de 82 por ciento. La anomalía acompañante más frecuente el reflujo vesicoureteral en 47 por ciento de los casos, seguido del ureterocele en 24 por ciento y uréter ectópico en 12 por ciento. Sus manifestaciones clínicas más frecuentes fueron infección de vías urinarias, tumoración abdominal e incontinencia, en orden de frecuencia. El diagnóstico se logró mediante urograma excretor en 80 por ciento de los casos, y se complementó con ecosonograma, uretrocistograma y gammagrama renal. Los procedimiento quirúrgicos realizados consistieron en reimplantación ureteral de tipo de Cohen, heminefrectomía y ureteroureteroanastomosis con resultados satisfactorios en 90 por ciento de los casos. Las complicaciones más frecuentes ocurrieron en los casos de reimplantación, con 9 por ciento por estenosis. Se concluye que la conducta quirúrgica definitiva depende de la individualización de cada caso según el tipo de anomalías, y del grado de funcionalidad de los segmentos renales implicados