Radiographic Anatomy Series
Dr Rofayda Gaafar,MD
Lecturer of Radiodiagnosis
By the end of this lecture the student will
be able to:
Knowledge &
understanding Intellectual skills
Recognize the left and right psoas Compare between right and
muscles on x-ray film.
left kidneys on x-ray film.
Discuss the normal anatomy of
both kidneys on x-ray film. Differentiate between liver
Identify both right and left ureters and spleen on x-ray film.
on x-ray film.
Identify the urinary bladder on x-
ray film.
Recognize both liver and spleen
on x-ray film.
Gross anatomy
The kidneys
Site:
Retroperitoneal paired structures
They are normally located to either side of the vertebral column between the
transverse processes of T12-L3 vertebrae.
The right kidney is lower in position than the left kidney by about 2cm due to
right hepatic lobe.
The long axis of the kidney is directed downward , laterally being parallel to
the lateral border of the psoas muscle.
The upper poles are normally oriented more medially and posteriorly than the
lower poles .
The kidneys
Size:
In adults, the normal kidney is 9-15 cm long in males & 3-5 cm wide.
The left kidney is usually slightly larger than the right does not exceed 1.5cm
Shape:
The kidney is bean shaped.
It has:
o two poles :superior broad (due to suprarenal gland) and pointed inferior pole.
o Anterior and posterior surfaces
o and lateral and medial borders.
The kidneys
The kidneys are surrounded by perirenal fat.
Covered by outer fibrous capsule.
The kidney itself can be divided into
o The renal parenchyma consists of renal
cortex and medulla.
o the renal sinus containing renal pelvis,
calyces, renal vessels, nerves, lymphatics
and perirenal fat.
The kidneys
The ureter
It measures about 25-30 cm
long.
The ureter has a diameter of about 3
mm but is narrower at the following
three sites:
1. The junction of the pelvis and ureter.
2. The pelvic brim.
3. The intravesical ureter where it runs
through the muscular bladder wall.
The ureter
it has three parts:
abdominal ureter:
from the renal pelvis to
the pelvic brim
pelvic ureter: from the
pelvic brim to the bladder
intravesical or
intramural ureter: within
the bladder wall
The urinary bladder
Site: Pelvic extra-peritoneal fat
Shape: Pyramidal shape base posteriorly: has four surfaces: the superior
surface (dome )the two inferolateral surfaces (which meet at an apex
behind the pubic symphysis) and the posterior–inferior surface .
The urinary bladder
The external features of the bladder are:
Apex (superior surface ) located superiorly, pointing towards the pubic
symphysis. It is connected to the umbilicus by the median umbilical ligament (a
remnant of the urachus).
Body – main part of the bladder, located between the apex and the fundus
Fundus (or base ,posteroinferior surface) – located posteriorly. It is triangular-
shaped, with the tip of the triangle pointing backwards.
Neck – formed by the convergence of the fundus and the two inferolateral
surfaces. It is a 2–3 cm long, funnel-shaped extension of the body that traverses
the urogenital diaphragm fand connects with the urethra.
The urinary bladder
The trigone region sits at
the bladder base between
the inlet of the two ureters
and the urethral opening
The urinary bladder
The wall of the bladder is mainly
composed of smooth muscle, called the
detrusor muscle. At the neck of the bladder,
the detrusor muscle fibers form the
involuntary internal sphincter.
Internally, the appearance of the bladder
wall depends on the state of distention of
the organ: it is thick and trabeculated when
collapsed, thin and smooth once distended.
The ureters enter the bladder wall
inferomedially on opposite sides at an
oblique angle.
The male urethra
15-20cm in length
Parts :
Posterior urethra: begins at the
neck of the bladder, terminates at
the urogenital diaphragm and can
be subdivided into prostatic and
membranous parts.
Anterior urethra: extends from
the inferior margin of the
urogenital diaphragm to the
external urethral meatus and can
be subdivided into bulbous and
penile parts.
The male urethra
1. The prostatic urethra courses within the prostate
,the paired ejaculatory duct orifices open on it.
2. The Membranous urethra is the shortest
,narrowest and least mobile urethral segment located
within the urogenital diaphragm .it contains the
external urethral sphincter.
3. The Bulbous urethra traverses through root of
penis. Bulbourethral (or Cowper’s) glands open into the
bulbar urethra approximately 2.5 cm below the perineal
membrane.
4. The Penile urethra is the longest urethral
[Link] extend externally beyond root of penis . The
distal portion of the penile urethra is dilated at the glans
penis. This dilation is called the fossa navicularis.
The female urethra
The female urethra is much
shorter than the male urethra
about 4cm in length.
The female urethra is not
divided into discrete segments.
The paraurethral glands of
Skene are homologous to the
male prostate and secrete
mucus into the urethra