title: [A morphological study of the kidney in the Japanese fetus with special reference to their external form, size and number of minor calix].
abstract: There are few anatomical reports on the fetal kidney than on adult human and animal kidneys. This paper reports the size, weight, ratio of renal hilus, number of minor calix and number of renal lobe in Japanese fetal kidneys. Fifty kidneys of 25 fetuses (3, 8, 8 and 6 bodies in 5, 6, 7 and 8 months, respectively) were used in this study. The length, width, thickness and weight of kidneys were measured, and the renal lobes were counted. The relative size of the hilus was then calculated by the ratio of the area of hilus to that of the medial surface of the kidneys. Latex rubber was injected in the ureters, taken out of the calico-pelvic system from the kidneys, and the number of minor calix in these specimens were counted. There were no significant sex difference and right and left difference in the kidney weight, ratio of renal hilus, number of minor calix and number of lobes. When these kidneys were observed at 5, 6, 7 and 8 months, the kidney weight and ratio of renal hilus were correlated with fetal age, but the numbers of lobe and minor calix were not. Comparing the results mentioned above with those of adult kidneys, it was shown that kidney weight and ratio of renal hilus area to the medial surface area of the kidneys gradually increased from fetus to adult. There was also a significant difference in the number of minor calix between adult and fetal kidneys. There was no correlation between the number of renal lobe and the number of minor calix.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Nippon Medical School.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asakawa
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakanushi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D005260:Female; D005325:Fetal Organ Maturity; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007668:Kidney / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000196:embryology*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012727:Sex Characteristics