Kidney (Included in Posterior Abdominal Wall PP)

Question 1

How do the right and left suprarenal glands differ from each other?

Answer 1

the right is shapred like a moon and the left is shaped like a triangle

Question 2

What does the cortex of the suprarenal gland secrete?

Answer 2

androgens and corticosteroids that cause kidneys to reain sodium and water in response to stress, increasing blood volume an dpressure

Question 3

What does the medulla of the suprarenal glands secrete?

Answer 3

it’s nervous tissue whose chromaffin cells secrete catecholamine s- especially epinephrine

Question 4

What arteries supply the suprarenal glands?

Answer 4

1. superior suprarenal arteries off the inferior phrenic arteries
2. Middle suprarenal arteries (off aorta)
3. Inferior suprarenal arteries (from renal arteries)

Question 5

Where does venous blood drain to from the suprarenal glands?

Answer 5

right suprarenal vein drains directly into the IVC

left suprarenal vein goes into the left renal vein which then goes to the IVC

Question 6

At what levels do the kidneys lie peritoneally?

Answer 6

T12 to L3

Question 7

Which kidney is slightly lower?

Answer 7

the right is slightly lower

Question 8

What is the clinical importance of the fact that the left renal vein passes anterior to the abdominal aorta and posterior to the SMA?

Answer 8

It means it can be comrpessed by an aneurysm in either the aorta or the SMA - nutrcracker syndrome

Question 9

What would be the presentation of compression of the left renal vein between the aorta and SMA?

Answer 9

you get reversal of blood flow from the L gonadal vein with dilation of the papiniform plexus and varicocoele

Question 10

Describe what surroudns the kidney?

Answer 10

pararenal fat, then renal fascia and then perirenal fat right adjacent to eh kidney

it’s liquid at body temp, so they’re basically floating

Question 11

What is nephroptosis?

Answer 11

floating kidney or prolasped kidney if the kidney sinks through an inferior hole int he fascia

can lead to kinks in the ureter and hydronephrosis

(why transplanted kidneys are just placed in the iliac fossa to avoid this)

Question 12

What vein and artery cross over the top of the ureter on their way down?

Answer 12

the gonadal vein and artery

Question 13

What are the vessels that the ureter crosses over?

Answer 13

the iliac vein and artery

Question 14

What vessel down in the pelvis crosses over the ureter?

Answer 14

the uterine vessels

Question 15

What are the three places where the ureters are normally constricted and calculi can lodge?

Answer 15

1. where renal pelvis narrows to form ureter
2. pelvic brim over the iliac vein and artery
3. oblique entrance intot he bladder