3-Dimensional and radiological pelviocaliceal anatomy for endourology.

The renal collecting system was studied in 100, 3-dimensional corrosion casts and also in 40 casts with the corresponding pyelograms. Some anatomical details that have great importance for endourology were observed and discussed, including the presence of perpendicular minor calices draining into the surface of the collecting system (11 per cent of the cases), crossed calices in the mid kidney with consequent formation of a region that we termed the inter-pelviocaliceal region (17.1 per cent), position of the calices related to the lateral kidney margin (in 52.9 per cent the anterior and posterior calices were superimposed or alternately distributed), position of the calices related to the polar regions (superior pole with a midline caliceal infundibulum in 98.6 per cent and inferior pole with paired calices in 57.9 per cent) and to the mid kidney (with paired calices in 95.7 per cent), and bilateral symmetry of the casts (37.1 per cent). The urologist must appreciate these anatomical structures during operations on the collecting system.