The normal juxtaglomerular apparatus in the human kidney. A morphological study.

Out of 49 serially studied juxtaglomerular apparatuses, 6 typical variants from two normal human kidneys were reconstructed graphically. The agranular Goormaghtigh cells filled the entire space between the macula densa, the afferent and the efferent arterioles and the glomerular mesangium. The Goormaghtigh cells were always in direct contact with all the other structures. They also invariably continued into the glomerular mesangium. The distal tubule regularly showed widening in the macula densa segment and, at this level, there was considerable variation in the shape of the distal tubule. Direct contact between the macula densa and the hilar arterioles was not always present, the area of contact was usually greater with the afferent than with the efferent arteriole.