Is the Diverticulum of the Distal and Collecting Tubules a Preliminary Stage of the Simple Cyst in the Adult?

Abstract

Whereas the outlines of nephrons and collecting ducts in kidneys from subjects less than 20 yr old were regular, the number of diverticula on the distal tubule in kidneys from adults increased with age. An embryogenic progression from diverticula to microscopic and macroscopic cysts to radiologically detectable cysts was established from morphological anomalies found in kidneys from adults. A diverticulum on distal and collecting tubules was postulated as the precursor of a simple cyst.