title: [Aberrant papillae. Apropos of 47 personal cases. Review of the literature].
abstract: Based on a personal series of 47 cases of aberrant papillae and a review of the literature, the authors stress the relative frequency of this anomaly and the almost constant possibility of making the diagnosis by means of intravenous pyelography on the basis of the following signs: regular, round or oval filling defect, surrounded by a fine opaque halo which separates it from the surrounding urine; or a notch with a regular arc-shaped border prolonged towards the exterior at its two extremities by a small spur. This spur, like the halo on the frontal view, corresponds to the presence of a small fornix at the insertion of the wall into the papilla. In doubtful cases, the persistence and stability of the image on repeated films constitutes a valuable diagnostic element. Haematuria is not more frequent in cases of aberrant papillae than in the overall population seen in a urological radiology department; in most cases, it is unrelated to this papilla. Only exceptional cases presenting with bleeding from the papilla may raise diagnostic problems due to the irregular contours of this papilla as a result of the vascular dysplasia responsible or the presence of clots. However, the finding of an opaque halo at the periphery of the filling defect or a spur at the extremities of the notch should draw attention, suggest the diagnosis and prohibit any aggressive management.
authors.affiliation: Service de Radiologie Urinaire, Hôpital Necker, Paris.
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Di Stefano
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007679:Kidney Medulla / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography
vernacular_title: Papilles aberrantes. A propos de 47 cas personnels. Revue de la littérature.