A renal papilla is the rounded tip of a renal pyramid that projects into a minor calyx. Its surface is pierced by the openings of the papillary ducts (the area cribrosa), through which urine drips into the collecting system. It marks the point where urine leaves kidney tissue for good.
| Location | At the apex of each renal pyramid, projecting into a minor calyx |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Renal plexus |
| Blood Supply | Vasa recta |
| Venous drainage |
|
| Lymphatic drainage |
|
Delivers final urine from the papillary ducts into the minor calyces.
The papillae are at the end of the medullary blood supply and are easily starved of oxygen. Papillary necrosis can send a sloughed papilla down the ureter, mimicking a stone. Small calcium plaques on the papilla surface (Randall plaques) are thought to be where many calcium oxalate stones begin.
Ischaemic death of the papilla tip, linked to diabetes, sickle cell disease, analgesic misuse and obstruction with infection. Sloughed tissue can cause ureteric colic.
Calcium phosphate deposits on the papilla surface that act as anchors for calcium oxalate kidney stones.
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