Renal papillary morphology in adults.

Renal papillary morphology and distribution have been analysed endoscopically in 50 adult autopsy kidneys. Concave papillae of the refluxing type were found with greater frequency in the adult kidneys than had been reported by others in children. A further type of calyx lacking a true papilla, not previously described in children, was occasionally observed. It therefore seems doubtful that all pyelonephritic scars detected at autopsy in adult kidneys have arisen during infancy. Further studies will be required to elucidate the role of papillary morphology in the pathogenesis of adult pyelonephritis.