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Smith & Tanagho’s General Urology

19th Edition Jack W. Mcaninch


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Smith & Tanagho’s


General Urology
NINETEENTH EDITION

Edited by

Jack W. McAninch, MD, FACS, FRCS(E)(Hon)


Professor of Urology
University of California School of Medicine
Chief, Department of Urology
San Francisco General Hospital
San Francisco, California

Tom F. Lue, MD, FACS, ScD (Hon)


Professor of Urology
Department of Urology
University of California School of Medicine
San Francisco, California

New York Chicago San Francisco Athens London Madrid Mexico City
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Contents
Contributors vii 10 Laparoscopic Surgery 149
Preface xi
David B. Bayne, MD, MPH;
J. Stuart Wolf, Jr., MD, FACS;
1 Anatomy of the Genitourinary Tract 1
Marshall L. Stoller, MD; & Thomas Chi, MD
Emil A. Tanagho, MD; &
Tom F. Lue, MD, ScD (Hon), FACS 11 Robotic Surgery in Urology 167
Maxwell V. Meng, MD, MPH
2 Embryology of the Genitourinary System 17
Emil A. Tanagho, MD; Hiep T. Nguyen, MD; 12 Urinary Obstruction & Stasis 177
& Michael DiSandro, MD
Marshall L. Stoller, MD; &
Tom F. Lue, MD, FACS, ScD (Hon)
3 Symptoms of Disorders of the
Genitourinary Tract 31
13 Vesicoureteral Reflux 191
Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS, FACS
Thomas W. Gaither, MD, MAS; &
Hillary L. Copp, MD, MS
4 Physical Examination of the
Genitourinary Tract 41
14 Bacterial Infections of the
Maxwell V. Meng, MD, MPH; & Genitourinary Tract 201
Emil A. Tanagho, MD
Mary K. Wang, MD; &
Hillary L. Copp, MD, MS
5 Urologic Laboratory Examination 49
Anobel Y. Odisho, MD, MPH; 15 Specific Infections of the
Sima P. Porten, MD, MPH; & Genitourinary Tract 229
Kirsten L. Greene, MD, MS
Emil A. Tanagho, MD; &
Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS
6 Radiology of the
Urinary Tract 63
16 Sexually Transmitted Infections 243
Daniela Franz, MD; Scott Gerst, MD; &
Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD Kristin Madden, PharmD;
Amanda B. Reed-Maldonado, MD, FACS;
& John N. Krieger, MD
7 Vascular Interventional Radiology 107
Ryan Kohlbrenner, MD; & Roy L. Gordon, MD 17 Urinary Stone Disease 259
Marshall L. Stoller, MD
8 Retrograde Instrumentation of
the Urinary Tract 117
18 Injuries to the Genitourinary Tract 291
Marshall L. Stoller, MD
Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS, FACS
9 Percutaneous Endourology and
Ureterorenoscopy 129 19 Urothelial Carcinoma: Cancers of the
Bladder, Ureter, and Renal Pelvis 309
David B. Bayne, MD, MPH;
Joachim W. Thüroff, MD; Badrinath R. Konety, MD, MBA; &
Rolf Gillitzer, MD; & Thomas Chi, MD Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH

iii

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 3 11/02/20 11:21 AM


iv Contents

20 Renal Parenchymal Neoplasms 329 31 Disorders of the Adrenal Glands 509


Anobel Y. Odisho, MD, MPH; & Michelle L. McDonald, MD; &
Kirsten L. Greene, MD, MS Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS

21 Cancer of the Prostate Gland 351 32 Disorders of the Kidneys 521


Matthew R. Cooperberg, MD, MPH; David B. Bayne, MD, MPH;
Samuel L. Washington III, MD; & Jack W. McAninch, MD, FACS, FRCS(E)(Hon); &
Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH Thomas Chi, MD

22 Genital Tumors 377 33 Diagnosis of Medical Renal Diseases 539


Sima P. Porten, MD, MPH; & Brian K. Lee, MD; & Flavio G. Vincenti, MD
Joseph C. Presti, Jr., MD
34 Acute Kidney Injury and Oliguria 551
23 Urinary Diversion and
Brian K. Lee, MD; & Flavio G. Vincenti, MD
Bladder Substitutions 391
Maxwell V. Meng, MD, MPH; 35 Chronic Kidney Disease and
Susan Barbour, RN, MS, WOCN; & Renal Replacement Therapy 557
Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH
Brian K. Lee, MD; &
Flavio G. Vincenti, MD
24 Systemic Therapy of Urologic Tumors 407
Vadim S. Koshkin, MD; & Eric J. Small, MD 36 Renal Transplantation 563
John M. Barry, MD
25 Immunotherapy in
Urologic Malignancies 415
37 Disorders of the Ureter and
Arpita Desai, MD; & Eric J. Small, MD Ureteropelvic Junction 571
Barry A. Kogan, MD
26 Radiotherapy of
Urologic Tumors 421
38 Disorders of the Bladder, Prostate,
Yun Rose Li, MD, PhD; and Seminal Vesicles 585
Alexander R. Gottschalk, MD, PhD; &
Mack Roach III, MD Samuel L. Washington III, MD; &
Katsuto Shinohara, MD
27 Neurophysiology and Pharmacology
of the Lower Urinary Tract 453 39 Male Sexual Dysfunction 605
Karl-Erik Andersson, MD, PhD Amanda B. Reed-Maldonado, MD, FACS; &
Tom F. Lue, MD
28 Neurogenic Bladder 473
40 Women’s Sexual Health 631
Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS
Alan W. Shindel, MD, MAS; &
Tami S. Rowen, MD, MS
29 Urodynamics 485
Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS 41 Disorders of the Penis and
Male Urethra 645
30 Urinary Incontinence 499
Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS, FACS; &
Tom F. Lue, MD, FACS, ScD (Hon); & Jack W. McAninch, MD, FACS, FRCS(E)(Hon)
Emil A. Tanagho, MD

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 4 11/02/20 11:21 AM


Contents v

42 Disorders of the Female Urethra 659 46 Genital Gender-Affirming Surgery:


Patient Care, Decision Making, and
Donna Y. Deng, MD, MS
Surgery Options 747
43 Disorders of Sex Development 671 Maurice M. Garcia, MD, MAS

Laurence S. Baskin, MD
47 History and Physical Examination in
Pediatric Urology 769
44 Male Infertility 703
Michael DiSandro, MD
Thomas J. Walsh, MD, MS; &
James F. Smith, MD, MS
48 Introduction to Clinical
Research Design 781
45 The Aging Male 735
June M. Chan, ScD; David Tat, DO; &
James F. Smith, MD, MS; Stacey Kenfield, ScD
Bogdana Schmidt, MD, MPH; &
Thomas J. Walsh, MD, MS Index 793

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 5 11/02/20 11:21 AM


Contributors
Karl-Erik Andersson, MD, PhD June M. Chan, ScD
Institute for Regenerative Medicine Program Director, Genitourinary Cancer Epidemiology and
Wake Forest University School of Medicine Population Sciences
Winston Salem, North Carolina Department of Urology
UCSF School of Medicine
Susan Barbour, RN, MS, WOCN San Francisco, California
Palliative Care Services
UCSF School of Medicine Thomas Chi, MD
San Francisco, California Associate Professor and Katzman Endowed Professor in
Clinical Urology
John M. Barry, MD Department of Urology
Professor of Urology and Professor of Surgery UCSF School of Medicine
Division of Abdominal Organ Transplantation San Francisco, California
Organ Health and Science University
Portland, Oregon Matthew R. Cooperberg, MD, MPH
Associate Professor
Laurence S. Baskin, MD Department of Urology
Chief of Pediatric Urology Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
University of California Children’s Medical Center UCSF School of Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
Attending Urologist Hillary L. Copp, MD, MS
Children’s Hospital Oakland Associate Professor of Urology and Pediatric Urology
Oakland, California Fellowship Director
Benioff Children’s Hospital
David B. Bayne, MD, MPH UCSF School of Medicine
Endourology Fellow San Francisco, California
Department of Urology
UCSF School of Medicine Donna Y. Deng, MD, MS
San Francisco, California Neurourology Lead, Kaiser Permanente Northern
California
Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS, FACS Medical Director, Kaiser NorCal Regional Spina Bifida
Associate Professor and Vice Chair Program
Department of Urology Associate Fellowship Director, Female Pelvic Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine Reconstructive Surgery, Kaiser East Bay/UCSF
San Francisco, California Oakland, California

Peter R. Carroll, MD, MPH Arpita Desai, MD


Professor Clinical Instructor
Ken and Donna Derr-Chevron Endowed Chair in Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology
Prostate Cancer Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
Department of Urology UCSF School of Medicine
UCSF School of Medicine San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California

vii

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 7 11/02/20 11:21 AM


viii Contributors

Michael DiSandro, MD Kirsten L. Greene, MD, MS


Professor of Urology Professor and Chair
Department of Urology Department of Urology
UCSF School of Medicine University of Virginia
San Francisco, California Charlottesville, Virginia

Daniela Franz, MD Hedvig Hricak, MD, PhD


Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Chair
Klinikum rechts der Isar Department of Radiology
Munich Technical University Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Munich, Germany Professor of Radiology
Cornell University
Thomas W. Gaither, MD, MAS New York, New York
Urology resident
University of California Christopher J. Kane, MD, FACS
Los Angeles, California Dean of Clinical Affairs
UC San Diego School of Medicine
Maurice M. Garcia, MD, MAS CEO, UC San Diego Health Physician Group
Associate Professor of Urology and Anatomy (Adjunct) La Jolla, California
Departments of Urology and Anatomy
UCSF Medical Center Stacey A. Kenfield, ScD
San Francisco, California Associate Professor
Director, Cedars-Sinai Transgender Surgery and Department of Urology
Health Program UCSF School of Medicine
Division of Urology San Francisco, California
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California Barry A. Kogan, MD
Professor, Surgery and Pediatrics
Scott Gerst, MD Falk Chair in Urology
Associate Attending Physician Albany Medical College
Department of Radiology Albany, New York
Memorial Hospital, Memorial Sloane-Kettering
Cancer Center Ryan Kohlbrenner, MD
New York, New York Assistant Professor of Interventional Radiology
Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging
Rolf Gillitzer, MD UCSF School of Medicine
Clinical Director San Francisco, California
Department of Urology
Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center Mainz Badrinath R. Konety, MD, MBA
Mainz, Germany Associate Dean for Innovation
Professor of Urology
Roy L. Gordon, MD Director of the Institute for Prostate and Urologic Cancers
Professor of Interventional Radiology University of Iowa
Department of Radiology Iowa City, Iowa
UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California Vadim S. Koshkin, MD
Assistant Clinical Professor
Alexander R. Gottschalk, MD, PhD Genitourinary Medical Oncologist
Professor of Radiation Oncology Departments of Hematology and Oncology
Director of CyberKnife UCSF School of Medicine
Departments of Radiation and Oncology San Francisco, California
UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 8 11/02/20 11:21 AM


Contributors ix

John N. Krieger, MD Anobel Y. Odisho, MD, MPH


Professor of Urology Assistant Professor
University of Washington School of Medicine Department of Urologic Oncology
Seattle, Washington UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California
Brian K. Lee, MD
Professor of Medicine Sima P. Porten, MD, MPH
The Connie Frank Kidney Transplant Center Assistant professor
UCSF School of Medicine Department of Urology
San Francisco, California UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California
Yun Rose Li, MD, PhD
Resident Physician Joseph C. Presti, Jr., MD
Departments of Radiation and Oncology Lead for Urologic Oncology
UCSF School of Medicine Kaiser Permanente Northern California
San Francisco, California Oakland, California

Tom F. Lue, MD, FACS, ScD (Hon) Amanda B. Reed-Maldonado, MD, FACS
Professor of Urology Chief, Male Reproductive Urology
Emil Tanagho Endowed Chair in Clinical Urology Department of Urology
Department of Urology Tripler Army Medical Center
UCSF School of Medicine Honolulu, Hawaii
San Francisco, California
Mack Roach III, MD
Kristin Madden, PharmD Professor of Radiation Oncology and Urology
Pharmacist Department of Urology
Department of Veterans Affairs UCSF School of Medicine
San Antonio, Texas San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center
San Francisco, California
Jack W. McAninch, MD, FACS, FRCS(E)(Hon)
Professor of Urology Tami S. Rowen, MD, MS
UCSF School of Medicine Assistant Professor
San Francisco, California Departments of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and
Reproductive Sciences
Michelle L. McDonald, MD UCSF School of Medicine
Urologist San Francisco, California
San Diego, California
Bogdana Schmidt, MD, MPH
Maxwell V. Meng, MD, MPH Urologic Oncology Fellow
Professor Stanford University Medical Center
Department of Urology Stanford, California
UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California Alan W. Shindel, MD, MAS
Associate Professor
Hiep T. Nguyen, MD Department of Urology
Associate Professor University of California
Surgery and Urology Davis, California
Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 9 11/02/20 11:21 AM


x Contributors

Katsuto Shinohara, MD David Tat, DO


Professor Infectious Disease Specialist
Helen Diller Family Chair in Clinical Urology Moses H. Cone Memorial Hospital
Department of Urology Greensboro, North Carolina
UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California Joachim W. Thüroff, MD
Professor
Eric J. Small, MD Department of Urology
Professor of Medicine and Urology University Medical Center
Urologic Oncology Program and Program Member, Mannheim, Germany
Comprehensive Cancer Center
UCSF School of Medicine Flavio G. Vincenti, MD
San Francisco, California Professor of Medicine
The Connie Frank Kidney Transplant Center
James F. Smith, MD, MS UCSF School of Medicine
Associate Professor San Francisco, California
Director, Male Reproductive Health
Departments of Urology, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Thomas J. Walsh, MD, MS
Reproductive Sciences Associate Professor
UCSF School of Medicine Department of Urology
San Francisco, California University of Washington School of Medicine
Seattle, Washington
Marshall L. Stoller, MD
Professor of Urology Mary K. Wang, MD
Department of Urology Childrens’ Urology
UCSF School of Medicine Austin, Texas
San Francisco, California
Samuel L. Washington, III, MD
Anne M. Suskind, MD, MS, FACS Urologic Oncology Clinical Fellow
Associate Professor of Urology, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Department of Urology
Reproductive Sciences UCSF School of Medicine
Director, Neurourology, Female Pelvic Medicine & San Francisco, California
Reconstructive Surgery
UCSF School of Medicine J. Stuart Wolf, Jr., MD, FACS
San Francisco, California Professor, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care
Dell Medical School
Emil A. Tanagho, MD The University of Texas at Austin
Professor of Urology Austin, Texas
Department of Urology
UCSF School of Medicine
San Francisco, California

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 10 11/02/20 11:21 AM


Preface
Smith & Tanagho’s General Urology, nineteenth edition, provides the updated information for the understanding, diagnosis,
and treatment of urological diseases in a concise and well-organized format. The book is up-to-date, to the point, and readable.
Medical students will find this book useful because of its concise, easy-to-follow format, and its breadth of information on
common urological diseases. Residents, as well as practicing physicians in urology, family practice, or general medicine, will find
it an efficient and current reference, particularly because of its emphasis on diagnosis and treatment.
This nineteenth edition has been thoroughly updated with clinical information and current references. The reader will find
that this edition is written in an uncomplicated, straightforward manner that provides relevant clinical information and guide-
lines for diagnosis and management of urologic conditions. Chapters on immunotherapy in urologic malignancies, radiotherapy
of urologic tumors, urinary incontinence, and vascular interventional radiology have all undergone extensive revision. For
this current edition, we have added two chapters on the timely topic of gender dysphoria and introduction to clinical research
design.
Many illustrations and figures have been modernized and improved with added color. The classic fine anatomic drawings
demonstrate well the important clinical findings.
This book has been one of the leading sources of information for students, trainees, and urologists around the world. In addi-
tion to English, this book has been published in many other foreign languages, like Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Japanese,
Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.
We greatly appreciate the patience and efforts of our McGraw-Hill staff, the expertise of our contributors, and the support
of our readers.

Jack W. McAninch, MD, FACS, FRCS(E) (Hon)


Tom F. Lue, MD, FACS, ScD (Hon)
San Francisco, California, January 2020

xi

McAninch_FM_pi-xii.indd 11 11/02/20 11:21 AM


1

1
Anatomy of the
Genitourinary Tract

Emil A. Tanagho, MD; & Tom F. Lue, MD, ScD (Hon), FACS

Urology deals with diseases and disorders of the adrenal ▶▶Blood Supply
gland, the male genitourinary tract, and the female
urinary tract. These systems are illustrated in Figures 1–1 A. Arterial
and 1–2. Each adrenal gland receives three arteries: one from the infe-
rior phrenic artery, one from the aorta, and one from the
ADRENALS renal artery.

B. Venous
▶▶Gross Appearance
A. Anatomy Blood from the right adrenal gland is drained by a very short
vein into the vena cava; the left adrenal vein terminates in the
Each kidney is capped by an adrenal gland, and both left renal vein.
organs are enclosed within Gerota’s (perirenal) fascia.
Each adrenal gland weighs 4–5 g. The right adrenal is tri- ▶▶Lymphatics
angular in shape; the left is more rounded and crescentic.
The average dimensions are 3 cm width, 5 cm length, and The lymphatic vessels accompany the suprarenal vein and
1 cm thickness. Each gland is composed of a cortex, chiefly drain into the lumbar lymph nodes.
influenced by the pituitary gland, and a medulla derived
from chromaffin tissue (Avisse et al, 2000; O’Donoghue KIDNEYS
et al, 2010).
▶▶Gross Appearance
B. Relations A. Anatomy
Figure 1–2 shows the relationships between the adrenals and The kidneys lie along the borders of the psoas muscles and
other organs. The right adrenal lies between the liver and are therefore obliquely placed. The position of the liver
the vena cava. The left adrenal lies close to the aorta and is causes the right kidney to be lower than the left (Figures 1–2
covered on its lower surface by the pancreas. The spleen lies and 1–3). The adult kidney weighs between 125 and 170 g in
superior and lateral to it. men and 115 and 155 g in women. It is about 10–12 cm long,
5–7 cm wide, and 3–5 cm thick.
The kidneys are supported by the perirenal fat (which is
▶▶Histology enclosed in the perirenal fascia), the renal vascular pedicle,
The adrenal cortex, which makes up 85% of the mass, is com- abdominal muscle tone, and the general bulk of the abdomi-
posed of three distinct layers: the outer zona glomerulosa, the nal viscera (Rusinek et al, 2004). Variations in these factors
middle zona fasciculata, and the inner zona reticularis. The permit variations in the degree of renal mobility. The aver-
medulla lies centrally and is made up of polyhedral cells with age descent on inspiration or on assuming the upright posi-
hormone-containing granular cytoplasm. These chromaf- tion is 4–5 cm. Lack of mobility suggests abnormal fixation
fin cells are accompanied by a small number of sympathetic (eg, perinephritis), but extreme mobility is not necessarily
ganglion cells. pathologic.

McAninch_CH01_p001-p016.indd 1 07/02/20 9:58 AM


2 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 1–1. Anatomy of the male genitourinary tract. The upper tract and midtract have urologic function only.
The lower tract has both genital and urinary functions.

McAninch_CH01_p001-p016.indd 2 07/02/20 9:58 AM


ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 3

▲▲Figure 1–2. Relations between the kidneys, ureters, and bladder (anterior aspect).

On longitudinal section (Figure 1–4), the kidney is seen gastrointestinal symptoms that accompany kidney diseases
to be made up of an outer cortex, a central medulla, and the (Glassberg, 2002).
internal calices and pelvis. The cortex is homogeneous in
appearance. Portions of it project toward the pelvis between ▶▶Histology
the papillae and fornices and are called the columns of A. Nephron
Bertin. The medulla consists of numerous pyramids formed
by the converging collecting renal tubules, which drain into The functioning unit of the kidney is the nephron, which is
the minor calices at the tip of the papillae. composed of a tubule that has both secretory and excretory
functions (Figure 1–4). The secretory portion is contained
largely within the cortex and consists of a renal corpuscle and
B. Relations
the secretory part of the renal tubule. The excretory portion of
Figures 1–2 and 1–3 show the relationships between the this duct lies in the medulla. The renal corpuscle is composed
kidneys and adjacent organs and structures. Their intimacy of the vascular glomerulus, which projects into Bowman’s cap-
with intraperitoneal organs and the autonomic innervation sule, which, in turn, is continuous with the epithelium of the
that they share with these organs explain, in part, some of the proximal convoluted tubule. The secretory portion of the renal

McAninch_CH01_p001-p016.indd 3 07/02/20 9:58 AM


4 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 1–3. Relations between the kidneys (posterior aspect). The dashed lines represent the outline of the kidneys,
where they are obscured by overlying structures.

tubule is made up of the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of the posterior surface. The anterior branch supplies both
of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. upper and lower poles as well as the entire anterior surface.
The excretory portion of the nephron is the collecting The renal arteries are all end arteries.
tubule, which is continuous with the distal end of the ascend- The renal artery branches further divide into interlobar
ing limb of the convoluted tubule. It empties its contents arteries, which travel in the columns of Bertin (between the
through the tip (papilla) of a pyramid into a minor calyx. pyramids) and then arch along the base of the pyramids
(arcuate arteries). These arteries then divide as interlobular
B. Supporting Tissue arteries. From these vessels, smaller (afferent) branches pass
to the glomeruli. From the glomerular tuft, efferent arterioles
The renal stroma is composed of loose connective tissue and
pass to the tubules in the stroma.
contains blood vessels, capillaries, nerves, and lymphatics.
B. Venous
▶▶Blood Supply (Figures 1–2, 1–4, and 1–5)
The renal veins are paired with the arteries, but any of them
A. Arterial
will drain the entire kidney if the others are tied off.
Usually there is one renal artery, a branch of the aorta that Although the renal artery and vein are usually the sole blood
enters the hilum of the kidney between the pelvis, which vessels of the kidney, accessory renal vessels are common and
normally lies posteriorly, and the renal vein. It may branch may be of clinical importance if they are so placed so as to com-
before it reaches the kidney, and two or more separate arter- press the ureter, in which case hydronephrosis may result.
ies may be noted (Budhiraja et al, 2010). In duplication of the
pelvis and ureter, it is common for each renal segment to have
its own arterial supply. ▶▶Nerve Supply
The renal artery divides into anterior and posterior The renal nerves derived from the renal plexus accompany
branches. The posterior branch supplies the midsegment the renal vessels throughout the renal parenchyma.

McAninch_CH01_p001-p016.indd 4 07/02/20 9:58 AM


ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 5

▲▲Figure 1–4. Anatomy and histology of the kidney and ureter. Upper left: Diagram of the nephron and its blood supply.
(Courtesy of Merck, Sharp, Dohme: Seminar. 1947; 9[3].) Upper right: Cast of the pelvic caliceal system and the arterial
supply of the kidney. Middle: Renal calices, pelvis, and ureter (posterior aspect). Lower left: Histology of the ureter. The
smooth-muscle bundles are arranged in both spirally and longitudinally. Lower right: Longitudinal section of kidney
showing calices, pelvis, ureter, and renal blood supply (posterior aspect).

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6 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 1–5. (A) The posterior branch of the renal artery and its distribution to the central segment of the posterior
surface of the kidney. (B) Branches of the anterior division of the renal artery supplying the entire anterior surface of the
kidney as well as the upper and lower poles at both surfaces. The segmental branches lead to interlobar, arcuate, and
interlobular arteries. (C) The lateral convex margin of the kidney. Brödel’s line, which is 1 cm from the convex margin, is
the bloodless plane demarcated by the distribution of the posterior branch of the renal artery.

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ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 7

▶▶Lymphatics
The lymphatics of the kidney drain into the lumbar lymph
nodes.

CALICES, RENAL PELVIS, AND URETER

▶▶Gross Appearance
A. Anatomy

1. Calices—The tips of the minor calices (8–12 in number)


are indented by the projecting pyramids (Figure 1–4). These
calices unite to form two or three major calices that join to
form the renal pelvis (Sozen et al, 2008).
2. Renal pelvis—The pelvis may be entirely intrarenal or
partly intrarenal and partly extrarenal. Inferomedially, it
tapers to join the ureter.
▲▲Figure 1–6. Anatomy and relations between the
3. Ureter—The adult ureter is about 30 cm long, varying ureters, bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and vasa
in direct relation to the height of the individual. It follows a deferentia (anterior view).
rather smooth S curve. Areas that stones are often impacted
are (a) at the ureteropelvic junction, (b) where the ureter
crosses over the iliac vessels, and (c) where it courses through helical and longitudinal smooth-muscle fibers. They are not
the bladder wall. arranged in discrete layers. The outermost adventitial coat is
composed of fibrous connective tissue.
B. Relations
▶▶Blood Supply
1. Calices—The calices are intrarenal and are intimately A. Arterial
related to the renal parenchyma.
The renal calices, pelvis, and upper ureters derive their blood
2. Renal pelvis—If the pelvis is partly extrarenal, it lies along supply from the renal arteries; the midureter is fed by the
the lateral border of the psoas muscle and on the quadratus internal spermatic (or ovarian) arteries. The lowermost por-
lumborum muscle; the renal vascular pedicle is just anterior tion of the ureter is served by branches from the common
to it. The left renal pelvis lies at the level of the first or second iliac, internal iliac (hypogastric), and vesical arteries.
lumbar vertebra; the right pelvis is a little lower.
3. Ureter—On their course downward, the ureters lie on the B. Venous
psoas muscles, pass medially to the sacroiliac joints, and then The veins of the renal calices, pelvis, and ureters are paired
swing laterally near the ischial spines before passing medi- with the arteries.
ally to enter the base of the bladder (Figure 1–2). In females,
the uterine arteries are closely related to the juxtavesical por-
tion of the ureters. The ureters are covered by the posterior
▶▶Lymphatics
peritoneum; their lowermost portions are closely attached to The lymphatics of the upper portions of the ureters as well
it, while the juxtavesical portions are embedded in vascular as those from the pelvis and calices enter the lumbar lymph
retroperitoneal fat (Koff, 2008). nodes. The lymphatics of the midureter pass to the internal
The vasa deferentia, as they leave the internal inguinal iliac (hypogastric) and common iliac lymph nodes; the lower
rings, sweep over the lateral pelvic walls anterior to the ureteral lymphatics empty into the vesical and hypogastric
ureters (Figure 1–6). They lie medial to the latter before join- lymph nodes.
ing the seminal vesicle and penetrating the base of the pros-
tate to become the ejaculatory ducts. BLADDER

▶▶Histology (Figure 1–4) ▶▶Gross Appearance


The walls of the calices, pelvis, and ureters are composed of The bladder is a hollow muscular organ that serves as a res-
transitional cell epithelium under which lies loose connec- ervoir for urine. In women, its posterior wall and dome are
tive tissue (lamina propria). External to these are a mixture of invaginated by the uterus. The adult bladder normally has

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8 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

a capacity of 400–500 mL. The wall of the bladder is about ▶▶Blood Supply
3–5 mm in thickness; it is thinner when it is distended.
A. Arterial
A. Anatomy The bladder is supplied by the superior, middle, and inferior
When empty, the adult bladder lies behind the pubic sym- vesical arteries, which arise from the anterior trunk of the
physis and is largely a pelvic organ. In infants and children, internal iliac (hypogastric) artery, and by smaller branches
it is situated higher (Berrocal et al, 2002). When it is full, it from the obturator and inferior gluteal arteries. In females,
rises well above the symphysis and can readily be palpated the uterine and vaginal arteries also send branches to the
or percussed. When overdistended, as in acute or chronic bladder.
urinary retention, it may cause the lower abdomen to bulge
visibly. B. Venous
Extending from the dome of the bladder to the umbilicus Surrounding the bladder is a rich plexus of veins that ulti-
is a fibrous cord, the median umbilical ligament, which rep- mately empties into the internal iliac (hypogastric) veins.
resents the obliterated urachus. The ureters enter the bladder
posteroinferiorly in an oblique manner and at these points ▶▶Nerve Supply
are about 5 cm apart (Figure 1–6). The orifices, situated at
the extremities of the crescent-shaped interureteric ridge that The bladder receives innervation from sympathetic and
forms the proximal border of the trigone, are about 2.5 cm parasympathetic nervous systems. The sensory afferent of
apart. The trigone occupies the area between the ridge and the bladder originates from both subepithelial nerve endings
the bladder neck. and nerve fibers between detrusor muscle bundles (Andersson,
The internal sphincter, or bladder neck, is not a true cir- 2010; Birder et al, 2010; McCloskey, 2010).
cular sphincter but a thickening formed by interlaced and
converging muscle fibers of the detrusor as they pass distally ▶▶Lymphatics
to become the smooth muscle component of the urethra. The lymphatics of the bladder drain into the vesical, external
iliac, internal iliac (hypogastric), and common iliac lymph
B. Relations nodes.
In males, the bladder is related posteriorly to the seminal
vesicles, vasa deferentia, ureters, and rectum (Figures 1–7 PROSTATE GLAND
and 1–8). In females, the uterus and vagina are interposed
between the bladder and rectum (Figure 1–9). The dome ▶▶Gross Appearance
and posterior surfaces are covered by peritoneum; hence, in
A. Anatomy
this area, the bladder is closely related to the small intestine
and sigmoid colon. In both males and females, the bladder is The prostate is a fibromuscular and glandular organ lying just
related to the posterior surface of the pubic symphysis, and, inferior to the bladder (Figures 1–6 and 1–7). The normal
when distended, it is in contact with the lower abdominal prostate weighs about 20 g and contains the posterior urethra,
wall. which is about 2.5 cm in length. It is supported anteriorly by
the puboprostatic ligaments and inferiorly by the urogenital
diaphragm (Figure 1–6). The prostate is perforated posteri-
▶▶Histology (Figure 1–10) orly by the ejaculatory ducts, which pass obliquely to empty
The mucosa of the bladder is composed of transitional epi- through the verumontanum on the floor of the prostatic ure-
thelium. Beneath it is a well-developed submucosal layer thra just proximal to the striated external urinary sphincter
formed largely of connective and elastic tissues. The mucosa (Figure 1–11).
may be considered as a single functional unit that consists The prostate can be subdivided into two ways: by lobe
of the epithelial layer, basement membrane, and lamina pro- or by zone. The lobe classification is often used in cystoure-
pria. Physical or chemical stress on the bladder elicits releases throscopic examinations and consists of five lobes: anterior,
of multiple factors that modulate afferent and efferent nerve posterior, median, right lateral, and left lateral. The zone clas-
activities (Fry and Vahabi, 2016). External to the submu- sification is often used in pathology. McNeal (1981) divides
cosa is the detrusor muscle that is made up of a mixture of the prostate into four zones: peripheral zone, central zone
smooth-muscle fibers arranged at random in a longitudi- (surrounds the ejaculatory ducts), transitional zone (sur-
nal, circular, and spiral manner without any layer formation rounds the urethra), and anterior fibromuscular zone (Myers
or specific orientation except for proximity to the internal et al, 2010) (Figure 1–12). The segment of urethra that tra-
meatus, where the detrusor muscle assumes three definite verses the prostate gland is the prostatic urethra. It is lined
layers: inner longitudinal, middle circular, and outer longitu- by an inner longitudinal layer of muscle (continuous with
dinal (John et al, 2001). a similar layer of the vesical wall). Incorporated within the

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ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 9

▲▲Figure 1–7. (A) Anatomic relationship between the bladder, prostate, prostatomembranous urethra, and root of
the penis. (B) Histology of the testis. Seminiferous tubules lined by supporting basement membrane for the Sertoli and
spermatogenic cells. The latter are in various stages of development. (C) Cross sections of the testis and epididymis.
(Images [A] and [C] reproduced with permission from Walsh PC, Campbell MF: Campbell’s Urology, 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA:
Saunders; 1992.)

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10 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 1–8. Top: Relations between the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, penis, urethra, and scrotal contents.
Lower left: Transverse section through the penis. The paired upper structures are the corpora cavernosa. The single
lower body surrounding the urethra is the corpus spongiosum. Lower right: Fascial planes of the lower genitourinary
tract. (After Wesson.)

prostate gland is an abundant amount of smooth muscula- separated from the rectum by the two layers of Denonvilliers’
ture derived primarily from the external longitudinal bladder fascia, serosal rudiments of the pouch of Douglas, which
musculature. This musculature represents the involuntary once extended to the urogenital diaphragm (Raychaudhuri
smooth muscle sphincter of the posterior urethra in males. and Cahill, 2008) (Figure 1–8).

B. Relations ▶▶Histology (Figure 1–10)


The prostate gland lies behind the pubic symphysis. Located The prostate consists of a thin fibrous capsule under
closely to the posterosuperior surface are the vasa deferentia which lie circularly oriented smooth-muscle fibers and
and seminal vesicles (Figure 1–7). Posteriorly, the prostate is collagenous tissue that surrounds the urethra (involuntary

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ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 11

▲▲Figure 1–9. Anatomy and relations of the bladder, urethra, uterus and ovary, vagina, and rectum.

▲▲Figure 1–10. Left: Histology of the prostate. Epithelial glands embedded in a mixture of connective and elastic tissue
and smooth muscle. Right: Histology of the bladder. The mucosa is transitional cell in type and lies on a well-developed
submucosal layer of connective tissue. The detrusor muscle is composed of interlacing longitudinal, circular, and spiral
smooth-muscle bundles.

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12 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 1–11. Section of the prostate gland shows the


prostatic urethra, verumontanum, and crista urethralis,
in addition to the opening of the prostatic utricle and
the two ejaculatory ducts in the midline. Note that the
prostate is surrounded by the prostatic capsule, which
is covered by another prostatic sheath derived from the
endopelvic fascia. The prostate is resting on the genitouri-
nary diaphragm. (Reproduced with permission from Walsh
PC, Campbell MF: Campbell’s Urology, 6th ed. Philadelphia,
PA: Saunders; 1992.) ▲▲Figure 1–12. Anatomy of the prostate gland. Prostatic
adenoma develops from the periurethral glands at the
site of the median or lateral lobes. The posterior lobe,
however, is prone to cancerous degeneration. (Adapted
sphincter). Deep in this layer lies the prostatic stroma,
with permission from McNeal JE: The zonal anatomy of the
composed of connective tissues and smooth-muscle fibers
prostate. Prostate 1981;2(1):35–49.)
in which are embedded the epithelial glands. These glands
drain into the major excretory ducts (about 25 in number),
which open chiefly on the floor of the urethra between
the verumontanum and the vesical neck. Just beneath ▶▶Lymphatics
the transitional epithelium of the prostatic urethra lie the The lymphatics from the prostate drain into the internal iliac
periurethral glands. (hypogastric), sacral, vesical, and external iliac lymph nodes
(Saokar et al, 2010).
▶▶Blood Supply
A. Arterial SEMINAL VESICLES
The arterial supply to the prostate is derived from the inferior
vesical, internal pudendal, and middle rectal (hemorrhoidal) ▶▶Gross Appearance
arteries. The seminal vesicles lie just cephalic to the prostate under
the base of the bladder (Figures 1–6 and 1–7). They are about
B. Venous 6 cm long and quite soft. Each vesicle joins its corresponding
vas deferens to form the ejaculatory duct (Kim et al, 2009).
The veins from the prostate drain into the periprostatic The ureters lie medial to each, and the rectum is contiguous
plexus, which has connections with the deep dorsal vein of with their posterior surfaces.
the penis and the internal iliac (hypogastric) veins.

▶▶Histology
▶▶Nerve Supply The mucous membrane is pseudostratified. The submu-
The prostate gland receives a rich innervation from the sym- cosa consists of dense connective tissue covered by a thin
pathetic and parasympathetic nerves of the inferior hypogas- layer of muscle that, in turn, is encapsulated by connective
tric plexus. tissue.

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ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 13

▶▶Blood Supply EPIDIDYMIS


The blood supply of the seminal vesicles is similar to that of
the prostate gland. ▶▶Gross Appearance
A. Anatomy
▶▶Nerve Supply The upper portion of the epididymis (globus major) is con-
The nerve supply is mainly from the sympathetic nerve nected to the testis by numerous efferent ducts from the testis
plexus. (Figure 1–7). The epididymis consists of a markedly coiled
duct that, at its lower pole (globus minor), is continuous with
▶▶Lymphatics the vas deferens. An appendix of the epididymis is often seen
on its upper pole; this is a cystic body that in some cases is
The lymphatics of the seminal vesicles are those that serve
pedunculated, but in others, it is sessile.
the prostate.
B. Relations
SPERMATIC CORD
The epididymis lies posterolateral to the testis and is nearest
▶▶Gross Appearance to the testis at its upper pole. Its lower pole is connected to
the testis by fibrous tissue. The vas lies posteromedial to the
The two spermatic cords extend from the internal ingui- epididymis.
nal rings through the inguinal canals to the testicles
(Figure 1–7). Each cord contains the vas deferens, the
internal and external spermatic arteries, the artery of
▶▶Histology
the vas, the venous pampiniform plexus (which forms The epididymis is covered by serosa. The ductus epididy-
the spermatic vein superiorly), lymph vessels, and nerves midis is lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium
(Jen et al, 1999). The entire cord contents are enclosed in throughout its length.
investing layers of thin fascia. A few fibers of the cremaster
muscle insert on the cords in the inguinal canal (Bhosale ▶▶Blood Supply
et al, 2008; Kim et al, 2009). A. Arterial

▶▶Histology The arterial supply to the epididymis comes from the internal
spermatic artery and the artery of the vas (deferential artery).
The fascia covering the cord is formed of loose connective
tissue that supports arteries, veins, nerve, and lymphatics. B. Venous
The vas deferens is a small, thick-walled tube consisting of an
internal mucosa and submucosa surrounded by three well- The venous blood drains into the pampiniform plexus, which
defined layers of smooth muscle encased in a covering of becomes the spermatic vein.
fibrous tissue. Above the testes, this tube is straight. Its proxi-
mal 4 cm tends to be convoluted. ▶▶Lymphatics
The lymphatics drain into the external iliac and internal iliac
▶▶Blood Supply (hypogastric) lymph nodes.
A. Arterial
TESTIS
The external spermatic artery, a branch of the inferior epigas-
tric, supplies the fascial coverings of the cord. The internal ▶▶Gross Appearance
spermatic artery passes through the cord on its way to the
testis. The deferential artery is close to the vas. A. Anatomy
The average testicle measures about 4 × 3 × 2.5 cm
B. Venous (Figure 1–7). The volume can be measured by an orchidom-
The veins from the testis and the coverings of the spermatic eter or by a formula with ultrasonic measurement (length ×
cord form the pampiniform plexus, which, at the internal width × height × 0.71). The average volume is 18 mL (rang-
inguinal ring, unites to form the spermatic vein. ing from 12 to 30 mL). The testicle has a dense fascial cov-
ering called the tunica albuginea testis, which, posteriorly,
is invaginated somewhat into the body of the testis to form
▶▶Lymphatics the mediastinum testis. This fibrous mediastinum sends
The lymphatics from the spermatic cord empty into the fibrous septa into the testis, thus separating it into about
external iliac lymph nodes. 250 lobules.

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14 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

The testis is covered anteriorly and laterally by the visceral SCROTUM


layer of the serous tunica vaginalis, which is continuous with
the parietal layer that separates the testis from the scrotal ▶▶Gross Appearance
wall (Bidarkar and Hutson, 2005). A small amount of fluid
normally exists within the tunica vaginalis sac. At the upper Beneath the corrugated skin of the scrotum lies the dartos
pole of the testis is the appendix testis, a small pedunculated muscle. Deep to this are the three fascial layers derived from
or sessile body similar in appearance to the appendix of the the abdominal wall at the time of testicular descent. Beneath
epididymis. these is the parietal layer of the tunica vaginalis (Kim et al,
2007).
B. Relations The scrotum is divided into two sacs by a septum of con-
nective tissue. The scrotum not only supports the testes but
The testis is closely attached posterolaterally to the epididy- also, by relaxation or contraction of its muscular layer, helps
mis, particularly at its upper and lower poles (Klonisch et al, to regulate their temperature.
2004).
▶▶Histology
▶▶Histology (Figure 1–7) The dartos muscle, under the skin of the scrotum, is nonstri-
Each lobule contains one to four markedly convoluted ated. The deeper layer is made up of connective tissue.
seminiferous tubules, each of which is about 60 cm long.
These ducts converge at the mediastinum testis, where ▶▶Blood Supply
they connect with the efferent ducts that drain into the A. Arterial
epididymis.
The seminiferous tubule has a basement membrane con- The arteries to the scrotum arise from the femoral, internal
taining connective and elastic tissue. This supports the semi- pudendal, and inferior epigastric arteries.
niferous cells that are of two types: (1) Sertoli (supporting)
cells and (2) spermatogenic cells. The stroma between the B. Venous
seminiferous tubules contains connective tissue in which the The veins are paired with the arteries.
interstitial Leydig cells are located.
▶▶Lymphatics
▶▶Blood Supply The lymphatics drain into the superficial inguinal and subin-
The blood supply to the testes is closely associated with that guinal lymph nodes.
to the kidneys because of the common embryologic origin of
the two organs. PENIS AND MALE URETHRA
A. Arterial
▶▶Gross Appearance
The arteries to the testes (internal spermatics) arise from the The penis is composed of two corpora cavernosa and the
aorta just below the renal arteries and course through the corpus spongiosum, which contains the urethra. The corpus
spermatic cords to the testes, where they anastomose with spongiosum enlarges distally and forms the glans penis. Each
the arteries of the vasa deferentia that branch off from the corpus is enclosed in a fascial sheath (tunica albuginea), and
internal iliac (hypogastric) artery. all three corpora are surrounded by a thick fibrous envelope
known as Buck’s fascia. A covering of skin, devoid of fat, is
B. Venous loosely wrapped these bodies. The prepuce forms a hood
The blood from the testis returns in the pampiniform plexus over the glans.
of the spermatic cord. At the internal inguinal ring, the Beneath the skin of the penis (and scrotum) and extend-
pampiniform plexus forms the spermatic vein. ing from the base of the glans to the urogenital diaphragm is
The right spermatic vein enters the vena cava just below Colles’ fascia, which is continuous with Scarpa’s fascia of the
the right renal vein; the left spermatic vein empties into the lower abdominal wall (Figure 1–8).
left renal vein. The proximal ends of the corpora cavernosa are attached
to the pelvic bones just anterior to the ischial tuberosities.
The ischiocavernosus muscles insert into the lateral surface
▶▶Lymphatics of the tunica albuginea at the proximal corpora cavernosa.
The lymphatic vessels from the testes pass to the lumbar Occupying a depression of their ventral surface in the midline
lymph nodes, which, in turn, are connected to the medias- is the corpus spongiosum, which is connected proximally to
tinal nodes. the undersurface of the urogenital diaphragm, below which

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ANATOMY OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 1 15

lies the urethral bulb. This portion of the corpus spongiosum FEMALE URETHRA
is surrounded by the bulbospongiosus muscle.
The suspensory ligament of the penis arises from the linea ▶▶Gross Appearance
alba and pubic symphysis and inserts into the fascial covering
of the corpora cavernosa. The adult female urethra is about 4 cm long and 8 mm in
diameter. It is slightly curved and lies beneath the pubic sym-
physis just anterior to the vagina.
▶▶Histology
A. Corpora and Glans Penis ▶▶Histology
The corpora cavernosa, the corpus spongiosum, and the The epithelial lining of the female urethra is squamous in
glans penis are composed of smooth muscles, intracaverno- its distal portion and pseudostratified or transitional in the
sal struts (corpus cavernosum only), and endothelium-lined remainder. The submucosa is made up of connective and
sinusoids. The sympathetic and parasympathetic (as well as elastic tissues and spongy venous spaces. Embedded in it are
the nonadrenergic, noncholinergic [NANC]) nerve termi- many periurethral glands, which are most numerous distally;
nals are often seen around the vessels and near the smooth the largest of these are the periurethral glands of Skene that
muscles. open on the floor of the urethra just inside the meatus.
External to the submucosa is a longitudinal layer of
B. Urethra smooth muscle continuous with the inner longitudinal
layer of the bladder wall. Surrounding this is a heavy layer
The urethral mucosa that traverses the glans penis is formed
of circular smooth-muscle fibers extending from the exter-
of squamous epithelium. Proximal to this, the mucosa is tran-
nal vesical muscular layer. This constitutes the involuntary
sitional in type. Underneath the mucosa is the submucosa that
internal urethral sphincter. Distal to this is the external stri-
contains connective and elastic tissue and smooth muscle. In
ated (voluntary) sphincter surrounding the middle third of
the submucosa are the numerous glands of Littre, whose ducts
the urethra composed of smooth and striated muscles within
connect with the urethral lumen. The urethra is surrounded by
the midurethra (Ashton-Miller and Delancey, 2009; Morgan
the vascular corpus spongiosum and the glans penis.
et al 2009; Thor and de Groat, 2010).

▶▶Blood Supply ▶▶Blood Supply


A. Arterial The arterial supply to the female urethra is derived from the
The penis and urethra are supplied by the internal pudendal inferior vesical, vaginal, and internal pudendal arteries. Blood
arteries. Each artery divides into a cavernous artery of the from the urethra drains into the internal pudendal veins.
penis (which supplies the corpora cavernosa), a dorsal artery
of the penis, and the bulbourethral artery. These branches ▶▶Lymphatics
supply the corpus spongiosum, the glans penis, and the ure- Lymphatic drainage from the external portion of the urethra
thra. Accessory pudendal arteries originate from inferior is to the inguinal and subinguinal lymph nodes. Drainage
vesical, obturator, or other arteries may also supply the penis from the deep urethra is into the internal iliac (hypogastric)
(Henry et al, 2017). lymph nodes.

B. Venous BIBLIOGRAPHY
The superficial dorsal vein lies external to Buck’s fascia and
drains to the saphenous vein. The deep dorsal vein is placed Adrenals
beneath Buck’s fascia and lies between the dorsal arteries. The Avisse C et al: Surgical anatomy and embryology of the adrenal
cavernous veins drain the hilum and crura of the penis. These glands. Surg Clin North Am 2000;80:403–415.
veins connect with the pudendal plexus that drains into the O’Donoghue PM et al: Genitourinary imaging: Current and emerg-
internal pudendal vein and periprostatic plexus. ing applications. J Postgrad Med 2010;56:131–139.

Kidneys
▶▶Lymphatics
Budhiraja V et al: Renal artery variations: Embryological basis and
Lymphatic drainage from the skin of the penis is to the super- surgical correlation. Rom J Morphol Embryol 2010;51:533–536.
ficial inguinal and subinguinal lymph nodes. The lymphat- Glassberg KI: Normal and abnormal development of the kidney:
ics from the glans penis pass to the subinguinal and external A clinician’s interpretation of current knowledge. J Urol 2002;
iliac nodes. The lymphatics from the proximal urethra drain 167:2339.
into the internal iliac (hypogastric) and common iliac lymph Rusinek H et al: Renal magnetic resonance imaging. Curr Opin
nodes (Wood and Angermeier, 2010). Nephrol Hypertens 2004;13:667–673.

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lated renal pelvic stones. J Endourol 2008;22(5):877–881. adult human vas deferens. J Anat 1999;195(Pt 4):481–489.
Kim B et al: Imaging of the seminal vesicle and vas deferens. Radio-
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Andersson KE: Detrusor myocyte activity and afferent signaling.
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Berrocal T et al: Anomalies of the distal ureter, bladder, and urethra Bidarkar SS, Hutson JM: Evaluation and management of the
in children: Embryologic, radiologic, and pathologic features. abnormal gonad. Semin Pediatr Surg 2005;14:118.
Radiographics 2002;22:1139. Henry BM et al: Variations in the arterial blood supply to the
Birder L et al: Neural control of the lower urinary tract: Peripheral penis and the accessory pudendal artery: A meta-analysis
and spinal mechanisms. Neurourol Urodyn 2010;29(1):128–139. and review of implications in radical prostatectomy. J Urol
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McCloskey KD: Interstitial cells in the urinary bladder—localization Wood HM, Angermeier KW: Anatomic considerations of the penis,
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McNeal JE: The zonal anatomy of the prostate. Prostate 1981;2:
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17

2
Embryology of the
Genitourinary System

Emil A. Tanagho, MD; Hiep T. Nguyen, MD;


& Michael DiSandro, MD

At birth, the genital and urinary systems are related only in nearby primary nephric duct as it grows caudally to join
the sense that they share certain common passages. Embryo- the cloaca (Figure 2–1). This primary nephric duct is now
logically, however, they are intimately related. Because of the called the mesonephric duct. After establishing their con-
complex interrelationships of the embryonic phases of the nection with the nephric duct, the primordial tubules elon-
two systems, they are discussed here as five subdivisions: gate and become S-shaped. As the tubules elongate, a series
the nephric system, the vesicourethral unit, the gonads, the of secondary branches increase their surface exposure,
genital duct system, and the external genitalia. thereby enhancing their capacity for interchanging material
with the blood in adjacent capillaries. Leaving the glomeru-
NEPHRIC SYSTEM lus, the blood is carried by one or more efferent vessels that
soon break up into a rich capillary plexus closely related to
The nephric system develops progressively as three distinct
the mesonephric tubules. The mesonephros, which forms
entities: pronephros, mesonephros, and metanephros.
early in the 4th week, reaches its maximum size by the end
of the second month.
▶▶Pronephros
The pronephros is the earliest nephric stage in humans, and ▶▶Metanephros
it corresponds to the mature structure of the most primitive
The metanephros, the final phase of development of the
vertebrate. It extends from the 4th to the 14th somites and
nephric system, originate from both the intermediate meso-
consists of 6–10 pairs of tubules. These open into a pair of
derm and the mesonephric duct. Development begins in the
primary ducts that are formed at the same level, extend cau-
5–6-mm embryo with a budlike outgrowth from the meso-
dally, and eventually reach and open into the cloaca. The pro-
nephric duct as it bends to join the cloaca. This ureteral bud
nephros is a vestigial structure that disappears completely by
grows cephalad and collects mesoderm from the nephro-
the 4th week of embryonic life (Figure 2–1).
genic cord of the intermediate mesoderm around its tip. This
mesoderm with the metanephric cap moves, with the grow-
▶▶Mesonephros ing ureteral bud, more and more cephalad from its point of
The mature excretory organ of the larger fish and amphib- origin. During this cephalic migration, the metanephric cap
ians corresponds to the embryonic mesonephros. It is becomes progressively larger, and rapid internal differentia-
the principal excretory organ during early embryonic life tion takes place. Meanwhile, the cephalic end of the ureteral
(4–8 weeks). It, too, gradually degenerates, although parts bud expands within the growing mass of metanephrogenic
of its duct system become associated with the male repro- tissue to form the renal pelvis (Figure 2–1). Numerous out-
ductive organs. The mesonephric tubules develop from the growths from the renal pelvic dilatation push radially into
intermediate mesoderm caudal to the pronephros shortly this growing mass and form hollow ducts that branch and
before pronephric degeneration. The mesonephric tubules rebranch as they push toward the periphery. These form the
differ from those of the pronephros in that they develop a primary collecting ducts of the kidney. Mesodermal cells
cuplike outgrowth into which a knot of capillaries is pushed. become arranged in small vesicular masses that lie close to
This is called Bowman’s capsule, and the tuft of capillaries the blind end of the collecting ducts. Each of these vesicular
is called a glomerulus. In their growth, the mesonephric masses will form a uriniferous tubule draining into the duct
tubules extend toward and establish a connection with the nearest to its point of origin.

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18 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 2–1. Schematic representation of the development of the nephric system. Only a few of the tubules of the
pronephros are seen early in the 4th week, while the mesonephric tissue differentiates into mesonephric tubules that
progressively join the mesonephric duct. During this time, the first sign of the ureteral bud from the mesonephric duct is
seen. At 6 weeks, the pronephros has completely degenerated and the mesonephric tubules start to do so. The ureteral
bud grows dorsocranially and has met the metanephrogenic cap. At the 8th week, there is cranial migration of the differ-
entiating metanephros. The cranial end of the ureteric bud expands and starts to show multiple successive outgrowths.
(Data from several sources.)

As the kidney grows, increasing numbers of tubules are the ends of the anterior pronephric tubules; (4) this pronephric
formed in its peripheral zone. These vesicular masses develop duct serves subsequently as the mesonephric duct and as such
a central cavity and become S-shaped. One end of the S gives rise to the ureter; (5) the nephric duct reaches the cloaca
coalesces with the terminal portion of the collecting tubules, by independent caudal growth; and (6) the embryonic ureter
resulting in a continuous canal. The proximal portion of the is an outgrowth of the nephric duct, yet the kidney tubules dif-
S develops into the distal and proximal convoluted tubules ferentiate from adjacent metanephric blastema.
and into Henle’s loop; the distal end becomes the glomeru-
lus and Bowman’s capsule. At this stage, the undifferentiated
mesoderm and the immature glomeruli are readily visible on ▶▶Molecular Mechanisms of Renal and
microscopic examination (Figure 2–2). The glomeruli are
Ureteral Development
fully developed by the 36th week or when the fetus weighs The kidney and the collecting system originate from the
2500 g (Osathanondh and Potter, 1964a, b). The metaneph- interaction between the mesonephric duct (Wolffian duct)
ros arises opposite the 28th somite (fourth lumbar segment). and the metanephric mesenchyme (MM). The uretic bud
At term, it has ascended to the level of the first lumbar or (UB) forms as an epithelial outpouching from the meso-
even the twelfth thoracic vertebra. This ascent of the kidney nephric duct and invades the surrounding MM. Reciprocal
is due not only to actual cephalic migration but also to differ- induction between the UB and MM results in branching
ential growth in the caudal part of the body. During the early and elongation of the UB from the collecting system and in
period of ascent (7th–9th weeks), the kidney slides above the condensation and epithelial differentiation of MM around
arterial bifurcation and rotates 90°. Its convex border is now the branched tips of the UB. Branching of the UB occurs
directed laterally, not dorsally. Ascent proceeds more slowly approximately 15 times during human renal development,
until the kidney reaches its final position. generating approximately 300,000 and 1 million nephrons
Certain features of these three phases of development must per kidney (Nyengaard and Bendtsen, 1992).
be emphasized: (1) the three successive units of the system This process of reciprocal induction is dependent on the
develop from the intermediate mesoderm; (2) the tubules at all expression of specific factors. Glial cell-derived neurotrophic
levels appear as independent primordia and only secondarily factor (GDNF) is the primary inducer of ureteric budding
unite with the duct system; (3) the nephric duct is laid down (Costantini and Shakya, 2006). GDNF interacts with sev-
as the duct of the pronephros and develops from the union of eral different proteins from the MM (eg, Wt1, Pax2, Eyal,

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EMBRYOLOGY OF THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER 2 19

▲▲Figure 2–2. Progressive stages in the differentiation of the nephrons and their linkage with the branching collecting
tubules. A small lump of metanephric tissue is associated with each terminal collecting tubule. These are then arranged
in vesicular masses that later differentiate into a uriniferous tubule draining into the duct near which it arises. At one
end, Bowman’s capsule and the glomerulus differentiate; the other end establishes communication with the nearby
collecting tubules.

Six1, Sall1) and from the UB itself (Pax2, Lim1, Ret) result- termination and tubule maintenance (hepatocyte growth fac-
ing in outgrowth of the UB (reviewed by Shah et al, 2004). tor, transforming growth factor-α, epidermal growth factor
Proper activation of the Ret/GDNF signaling pathway in receptor) (reviewed by Shah et al, 2004). BMP7, SHH, and
the tip of UB epithelium appears to be essential in the pro- Wnt11 produced from the branching ureteric bud induce the
gression of branching morphogenesis (reviewed by Michos, MM to differentiate. These factors induce the activation of
2009). B-catenin and Gata3 are important regulators of Ret Pax2, α-8-integrin, and Wnt4 in the renal mesenchymal cells,
expression, and correct activity of Ret is regulated by posi- resulting in condensation of the MM and the formation of
tive (Wnt11 from MM) and negative (Sprouty1 from the UB) pretubular aggregate and primitive renal vesicle (reviewed by
feedback signaling. Additional specific factors are required for Burrow, 2000). With the continued induction from the UB
(1) early branching (eg, Wnt4 and Wnt11, fgf 7–10); (2) late and the autocrine activity of Wnt4, the pretubular aggregates
branching and maturation (bmp2, activin); and (3) branching differentiate into comma-shaped bodies. Platelet-derived

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20 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

growth factor α-β and vascular endothelial growth factor ureter and is most commonly associated with an accessory
expression are required for initiating the migration of endo- ureteral bud in a duplicated system, but it also can be seen in
thelial cells into the cleft of the comma-shaped bodies to a single system. The migration and insertion of the ureteric
form rudimentary glomerular capillary tufts (reviewed by bud into the bladder depend on Ret gene activity and Ret
Burrow, 2000). Wt1 and Pod1 may have important functions gene expression and is mediated by the action of the retinoic
in the regulation of gene transcription necessary for the dif- acid and Gata3 gene (Schultza, 2016).
ferentiation of podocytes (Ballermann, 2005).
Fibroblast growth factors (FGF) are also important for
VESICOURETHRAL UNIT
early metanephric development, especially the receptors
Fgfr1 and Fgfr2. A loss of both these receptors leads to kid- The blind end of the hindgut caudal to the point of origin of
ney agenesis. Other signaling proteins include Six1 and Sall1. the allantois expands to form the cloaca, which is separated
Six1 is a homeobox protein essential for early kidney devel- from the outside by a thin plate of tissue (the cloacal mem-
opment. Sall1 is a transcription factor that is important for brane) lying in an ectodermal depression (the proctodeum)
the development of the metanephros. Lack of Sall1 leads to under the root of the tail. At the 4-mm stage, starting at the
renal agenesis (Krause, 2015). cephalic portion of the cloaca where the allantois and gut
meet, the cloaca progressively divides into two compartments
by the caudal growth of a crescentic fold, the urorectal fold.
ANOMALIES OF THE NEPHRIC SYSTEM
The two limbs of the fold bulge into the lumen of the cloaca
Failure of the metanephros to ascend leads to an ectopic kidney. from either side, eventually meeting and fusing. The division
An ectopic kidney may be on the proper side but low (simple of the cloaca into a ventral portion (urogenital sinus) and a
ectopy) or on the opposite side (crossed ectopy) with or with- dorsal portion (rectum) is completed during the 7th week.
out fusion. Failure to rotate during ascent causes a malrotated During the development of the urorectal septum, the cloacal
kidney. Fusion of the paired metanephric masses leads to vari- membrane undergoes a reverse rotation, so that the ectoder-
ous anomalies—most commonly a “horseshoe” kidney. mal surface is no longer directed toward the developing ante-
The ureteral bud from the mesonephric duct may bifur- rior abdominal wall but gradually is turned to face caudally
cate, causing a bifid ureter at various levels depending on and slightly posteriorly. This change facilitates the subdivision
the time of the bud’s subdivision. An accessory ureteral bud of the cloaca and is brought about mainly by development of
may develop from the mesonephric duct, thereby forming the infraumbilical portion of the anterior abdominal wall and
a duplicated ureter, usually meeting the same metaneph- regression of the tail. The mesoderm that passes around the
ric mass. Rarely, each bud has a separate metanephric mass, cloacal membrane to the caudal attachment of the umbilical
resulting in supernumerary kidneys. cord proliferates and grows, forming a surface elevation, the
If the double ureteral buds are close together on the meso- genital tubercle. Further growth of the infraumbilical part
nephric duct, they open near each other in the bladder. In of the abdominal wall progressively separates the umbilical
this case, the main ureteral bud, which is the first to appear cord from the genital tubercle. The division of the cloaca is
and the most caudal on the mesonephric ducts, reaches the completed before the cloacal membrane ruptures, and its two
bladder first. It then starts to move upward and laterally and parts therefore have separate openings. The ventral part is the
is followed later by the second accessory bud as it reaches the primitive urogenital sinus, which has the shape of an elon-
urogenital sinus. The main ureteral bud (now more cranial gated cylinder and is continuous cranially with the allantois;
on the urogenital sinus) drains the lower portion of the kid- its external opening is the urogenital ostium. The dorsal part
ney. The two ureteral buds reverse their relationship as they is the rectum, and its external opening is the anus.
move from the mesonephric duct to the urogenital sinus. Traditionally, it is believed that the urogenital sinus
This is why duplicated ureters always cross (Weigert–Meyer receives the mesonephric ducts. The caudal end of the meso-
law). If the two ureteral buds are widely separated on the nephric duct distal to the ureteral bud (the common excre-
mesonephric duct, the accessory bud appears more proximal tory duct) is progressively absorbed into the urogenital sinus.
on the mesonephric duct and therefore ends in the bladder By the 7th week, the mesonephric duct and the ureteral bud
more distal than usual, with an ectopic orifice lower than the have independent opening sites. This introduces an island of
normal one. This ectopic orifice could still be in the bladder mesodermal tissue amid the surrounding endoderm of the
close to its outlet, in the urethra, or even in the genital duct urogenital sinus. As development progresses, the opening
system (Figure 2–3). A single ureteral bud that arises more of the mesonephric duct (which will become the ejaculatory
proximal than normal on the mesonephric duct can also end duct) migrates downward and medially. The opening of the
in a similar ectopic location, although this is less common. ureteral bud (which will become the ureteral orifice) migrates
Lack of development of a ureteral bud results in a solitary upward and laterally. The absorbed mesoderm of the meso-
kidney and a hemitrigone. The ureteral bud may also develop nephric duct expands with this migration to occupy the area
or migrate into the bladder, abnormally leading to a uretero- limited by the final position of these tubes (Figure 2–3).
cele. A ureterocele is a cystic dilation of the distal intramural This will later be differentiated as the trigonal structure,

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 20 07/02/20 10:00 AM


EMBRYOLOGY OF THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER 2 21

▲▲Figure 2–3. Development of the ureteral bud from the mesonephric duct and the relationship of both to the urogenital
sinus. The ureteral bud appears at the 4th week. The mesonephric duct distal to this ureteral bud is gradually absorbed
into the urogenital sinus, resulting in separate endings for the ureter and the mesonephric duct. The mesonephric tissue
that is incorporated into the urogenital sinus expands and forms the trigonal tissue.

which is the only mesodermal inclusion in the endodermal supported by more recent studies that suggest the trigone is
vesicourethral unit. formed mostly from bladder smooth muscle and less so from
More recent studies suggest an alternative path of devel- the ureters. Condensation of myoblasts in the region between
opment (reviewed by McInnes and Michaud, 2009). The the openings of the ureters and Wolffian ducts at 12 weeks of
right and left common excretory ducts appear to undergo gestation gives rise to the trigone, as a single circular muscu-
gradual programmed cell death; the elimination of the com- lar layer and the muscles from the distal ureters cross midline
mon excretory ducts brings the distal ureters into immediate to form the interureteral fold (Oswald et al, 2006).
contact with the urogenital sinus epithelium. Concurrently, The urogenital sinus can be divided into two main seg-
the ureters undergo a 180° rotation around the axis of the ments. The dividing line, the junction of the combined
mesonephric duct (also known as the Wolffian duct). The Müllerian ducts with the dorsal wall of the urogenital sinus, is
distal segment of the ureters then also undergoes apoptosis. an elevation called Müller’s tubercle, which is the most fixed
As a result, this process generates a new ureteral connection reference point in the whole structure and is discussed in a
point in the urogenital sinus region that will give rise to the subsequent section. The segments are as follows:
bladder, while the Wolffian duct remains in the region giving 1. The ventral and pelvic portion forms the bladder, part of
rise to the urethra. Further growth of the bladder and ure- the urethra in males, and the whole urethra in females.
thra moves the ureteral orifices cranially, while those to the This portion receives the ureter.
Wolffian ducts move caudally. This pattern of development is

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22 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

2. The urethral, or phallic, portion receives the mesonephric The part of the urogenital sinus caudal to the opening of
and the fused Müllerian ducts. This will be part of the ure- the Müllerian duct forms the vaginal vestibule and contrib-
thra in males and forms the lower fifth of the vagina and utes to the lower fifth of the vagina in females (Figure 2–5).
the vaginal vestibule in females. In males, it forms the inframontanal part of the prostatic
During the 3rd month, the ventral part of the urogenital urethra and the membranous urethra. The penile urethra
sinus starts to expand and forms an epithelial sac whose apex is formed by the fusion of the urethral folds on the ventral
tapers into an elongated, narrowed urachus. The pelvic por- surface of the genital tubercle. In females, the urethral folds
tion remains narrow and tubular; it forms the whole urethra remain separate and form the labia minora. The glandular
in females and the supramontanal portion of the prostatic urethra in males is formed by canalization of the urethral
urethra in males. The splanchnic mesoderm surrounding the plate. The bladder originally extends up to the umbilicus,
ventral and pelvic portion of the urogenital sinus begins to where it is connected to the allantois that extends into the
differentiate into interlacing bands of smooth-muscle fibers umbilical cord. The allantois usually is obliterated at the level
and an outer fibrous connective tissue coat. By the 12th week, of the umbilicus by the 15th week. The bladder then starts to
the layers characteristic of the adult urethra and bladder are descend by the 18th week. As it descends, its apex becomes
recognizable (Figure 2–4). stretched and narrowed, and it pulls on the already obliterated

▲▲Figure 2–4. Differentiation of the urogenital sinus in males. At the 5th week, the progressively growing urorectal
septum separates the urogenital sinus from the rectum. The former receives the mesonephric duct and the ureteral
bud. It retains its tubular structure until the 12th week, when the surrounding mesenchyme starts to differentiate into
the muscle fibers around the whole structure. The prostate gland develops as multiple epithelial outgrowths just above
and below the mesonephric duct. During the 3rd month, the ventral part of the urogenital sinus expands to form the
bladder proper; the pelvic part remains narrow and tubular, forming part of the urethra. (Reproduced with permission
from Tanagho EA, Smith DR: Mechanism of urinary continence. I. Embryologic, anatomic and pathologic considerations, J Urol.
1968 Nov;100(5):640–646.)

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EMBRYOLOGY OF THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER 2 23

▲▲Figure 2–5. Differentiation of the urogenital sinus and the Müllerian ducts in the female embryo. At 9 weeks, the
urogenital sinus receives the fused Müllerian ducts at Müller’s tubercle (sinovaginal node), which is solidly packed with
cells. As the urogenital sinus distal to Müller’s tubercle becomes wider and shallower (15 weeks), the urethra and fused
Müllerian duct will have separate openings. The distal part of the urogenital sinus forms the vaginal vestibule and the
lower fifth of the vagina (shaded area), and that part above Müller’s tubercle forms the urinary bladder and the entire
female urethra. The fused Müllerian ducts form the uterus and the upper four-fifths of the vagina. The hymen is formed at
the junction of the sinovaginal node and the urogenital sinus.

allantois, now called the urachus. By the 20th week, the blad- anterior lobe tubules are large and show multiple branches,
der is well separated from the umbilicus, and the stretched they gradually contract and lose most of the branches. They
urachus becomes the middle umbilical ligament. continue to shrink so that at birth, they show no lumen and
appear as small, solid embryonic epithelial outgrowths. In
contrast, the tubules of the posterior lobe are fewer in num-
PROSTATE ber yet larger, with extensive branching. These tubules, as
The prostate develops as multiple solid outgrowths of the they grow, extend posterior to the developing median and lat-
urethral epithelium both above and below the entrance of the eral lobes and form the posterior aspect of the gland, which
mesonephric duct. These simple tubular outgrowths begin to may be felt rectally.
develop in five distinct groups at the end of the 11th week and Prostate development results from complex interaction
are complete by the 16th week (112-mm stage). They branch between urogenital sinus epithelium and mesenchyme in
and rebranch, ending in a complex duct system that encoun- the presence of androgens (reviewed by Cunha et al, 2004,
ters the differentiating mesenchymal cells around this seg- and Thomson, 2008). Early in development, the androgen
ment of the urogenital sinus. These mesenchymal cells start receptors are solely expressed in the urogenital sinus mesen-
to develop around the tubules by the 16th week and become chyme. Under the influence of androgen, the mesenchyme
denser at the periphery to form the prostatic capsule. By the induces epithelial bud formation, regulates the growth and
22nd week, the muscular stroma is considerably developed, branching of epithelial bud, promotes differentiation of a
and it continues to increase progressively until birth. secretory epithelium, and specifies differential expression
From the five groups of epithelial buds, five lobes are eventu- of prostatic secretory proteins. Genome-wide analyses have
ally formed: anterior, posterior, median, and two lateral lobes. revealed critical molecular events in prostate development.
Initially, these lobes are widely separated, but later they meet, These include Nkx3.1, Sox, and homeobox genes for ductal
with no definite septa dividing them. Tubules of each lobe do morphology development; sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth
not intermingle with each other but simply lie side by side. factor and the Wnt5a gene for bud development; and bone
The anterior lobe tubules begin to develop simultaneously morphogenic protein and notch genes for branching (Meeks,
with those of the other lobes. In the early stages, although the 2011). Other factors such as activin A serve to inhibit ductal

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 23 07/02/20 10:00 AM


24 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

branching in order to maintain tissue homeostasis and regu- mesonephros is converted into a gonadal mesentery known
lated growth in the prostate. as the mesorchium. The cells of the germinal epithelium
grow into the underlying mesenchyme and form cordlike
ANOMALIES OF THE VESICOURETHRAL UNIT masses. These are radially arranged and converge toward the
mesorchium, where a dense portion of the blastemal mass
Failure of the cloaca to subdivide is rare and results in a
is also emerging as the primordium of the rete testis. A net-
persistent cloaca. Incomplete subdivision is more frequent,
work of strands soon forms that is continuous with the testis
ending with rectovesical, rectourethral, or rectovestibular
cords. The latter also split into three to four daughter cords.
fistulas (usually with imperforate anus or anal atresia).
These eventually become differentiated into the seminifer-
Failure of descent or incomplete descent of the blad-
ous tubules by which the spermatozoa are produced. The rete
der leads to a urinary umbilical fistula (urachal fistula),
testis unites with the mesonephric components that will form
urachal cyst, or urachal diverticulum depending on the
the male genital ducts, as discussed in a subsequent section
stage and degree of maldescent.
(Figure 2–6).
Development of the genital primordia in an area more
If the gonad develops into an ovary, it (like the testis) gains
caudal than normal can result in formation of the corpora
a mesentery (mesovarium) and settles in a more caudal posi-
cavernosa just caudal to the urogenital sinus outlet, with the
tion. During the 9th week the internal blastema differentiates
urethral groove on its dorsal surface. This defect results in
in the into a primary cortex beneath the germinal epithelium
complete or incomplete epispadias depending on its degree.
and a loose primary medulla. A compact cellular mass bulges
A more extensive defect results in bladder exstrophy. Failure
from the medulla into the mesovarium and establishes the
of fusion of urethral folds leads to various grades of hypospa-
primitive rete ovarii. At 3–4 months of age, the internal cell
dias. This defect, because of its mechanism, never extends
mass becomes young ova. A new definitive cortex is formed
proximal to the bulbous urethra. This is in contrast to epi-
from the germinal epithelium as well as from the blastema
spadias, which usually involves the entire urethra up to the
in the form of distinct cellular cords (Pflüger’s tubes), and a
internal meatus.
permanent medulla is formed. The cortex differentiates into
ovarian follicles containing ova.
GONADS
Genetically, in the presence of a Y chromosome, SRY (as
Most of the structures that make up the embryonic genital sys- known as testis determining factor [TDF]) induces the upreg-
tem have been taken over from other systems, and their read- ulation of Sox9 in the undifferentiated gonad (reviewed by
aptation to genital function is a secondary and relatively late Sekido, 2010). This in turn upregulates the expression of FGF9
phase in their development. The early differentiation of such and increases PGD2 synthesis, both helping to maintain Sox9
structures is therefore independent of sexuality. Furthermore, expression. Sox9 directs the differentiation of cells into Sertoli
each embryo is at first morphologically bisexual, possessing all cell by activating several downstream genes such as Amh,
the necessary structures for either sex. The development of one Cbln4, FGF9, and Ptgds. In the absence of a Y chromosome
set of sex primordia and the gradual involution of the other are and SRY, Rspo1 is upregulated in the undifferentiated gonads
determined by the sex of the gonad. (reviewed by Nef and Vassalli, 2009). Rspo1 is required for
The sexually undifferentiated gonad is a composite struc- Wnt4 expression, and together they activate β-catenin, which,
ture. Male and female potentials are represented by specific in turn, suppresses the formation of the testis cords by inhibit-
histologic elements (medulla and cortex) that have alterna- ing Sox9 and FGF9. A second pathway involving the upregu-
tive roles in gonadogenesis. Normal differentiation involves lation of Foxl2 also serves to inhibit Sox 9 and FGF9 activity,
the gradual predominance of one component. contributing to the development of the ovary.
The primitive sex glands appear during the 5th and 6th New genetic data on human sex determination from
weeks within a localized region of the thickening known as modern gene sequencing will create opportunities for the
the urogenital ridge (this contains both the nephric and the development of mechanistic models and should lead to
genital primordia). At the 6th week, the gonad consists of better understanding of this complex process (reviewed by
a superficial germinal epithelium and an internal blastema. Bashamboo, 2017).
The blastemal mass is derived mainly from proliferative
ingrowth from the superficial epithelium, which comes loose ▶▶Descent of the Gonads
from its basement membrane.
A. Testis
During the 7th week, the gonad begins to assume the
characteristics of a testis or ovary. Differentiation of the In addition to its early caudal migration, the testis later leaves
ovary usually occurs somewhat later than differentiation of the abdominal cavity and descends into the scrotum. By the
the testis. 3rd month of fetal life, the testis is located retroperitoneally
If the gonad develops into a testis, the gland increases in in the false pelvis. A fibromuscular band (the gubernacu-
size and shortens into a more compact organ while achiev- lum) extends from the lower pole of the testis through the
ing a more caudal location. Its broad attachment to the developing muscular layers of the anterior abdominal wall

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 24 07/02/20 10:00 AM


EMBRYOLOGY OF THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER 2 25

▲▲Figure 2–6. Transformation of the undifferentiated genital system into the definitive male and female systems.

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 25 07/02/20 10:00 AM


26 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

to terminate in the subcutaneous tissue of the scrotal swell- the 4-mm stage) joins the ventral part of the cloaca, which
ing. The gubernaculum also has several other subsidiary will be the urogenital sinus. This duct gives rise to the ureteral
strands that extend to adjacent regions. Just below the bud close to its caudal end. The ureteral bud grows cranially
lower pole of the testis, the peritoneum herniates as a and meets metanephrogenic tissue. The part of each meso-
diverticulum along the anterior aspect of the gubernacu- nephric duct caudal to the origin of the ureteric bud becomes
lum, eventually reaching the scrotal sac through the ante- absorbed into the wall of the primitive urogenital sinus so
rior abdominal muscles (the processus vaginalis). The testis that the mesonephric duct and ureter open independently.
remains at the abdominal end of the inguinal canal until the This is achieved at the 15-mm stage (7th week). During this
7th month. It then passes through the inguinal canal behind period, starting at the 10-mm stage, the Müllerian ducts start
(but invaginating) the processus vaginalis. Normally, it to develop. They reach the urogenital sinus relatively late—at
reaches the scrotal sac by the end of the 8th month. the 30-mm stage (9th week); their partially fused blind ends
producing the elevation called Müller’s tubercle. Müller’s
B. Ovary tubercle is the most constant and reliable point of reference
in the whole system.
In addition to undergoing an early internal descent, the ovary If the gonad starts to develop into a testis (17-mm stage,
becomes attached through the gubernaculum to the tissues 7th week), the Wolffian duct will start to differentiate into
of the genital fold and then attaches itself to the developing the male duct system, forming the epididymis, vas deferens,
uterovaginal canal at its junction with the uterine (fallopian) seminal vesicles, and ejaculatory ducts, when the Müllerian
tubes. This part of the gubernaculum between the ovary and duct proceeds toward its junction with the urogenital sinus
uterus becomes the ovarian ligament; the part between the and immediately starts to degenerate. Only its upper and
uterus and the labia majora becomes the round ligament lower ends persist, the former as the appendix testis and the
of the uterus. These ligaments prevent extra-abdominal latter as part of the prostatic utricle.
descent, and the ovary enters the true pelvis. It eventually lies If the gonad starts to differentiate into an ovary (22-mm
posterior to the uterine tubes on the superior surface of the stage, 8th week), the Müllerian duct system forms the uter-
urogenital mesentery, which has descended with the ovary ine (fallopian) tubes, uterus, and most of the vagina. The
and now forms the broad ligament. A small processus vag- Wolffian ducts, aside from their contribution to the urogeni-
inalis forms and passes toward the labial swelling, but it is tal sinus, remain rudimentary.
usually obliterated at full term.
MALE DUCT SYSTEM
GONADAL ANOMALIES
The gonad may either (1) not develop (agenesis), (2) develop ▶▶Epididymis
incompletely (hypogenesis), (3) develop incorrectly (dysgen- Because of the proximity of the differentiating gonads and the
esis), or (4) develop correctly, but then suffer an embryologic nephric duct, some of the mesonephric tubules are retained
injury (eg, intrauterine torsion). Supernumerary gonads are as the efferent ductules, and their lumens become continu-
rare. The commonest anomaly involves descent of the gonads, ous with those of the rete testis. These tubules, together with
especially the testis. Retention of the testis in the abdomen or the part of the mesonephric duct into which they empty, will
arrest of its descent at any point along its natural pathway form the epididymis. Each coiled ductule makes a conical
is called cryptorchidism, which may be either unilateral or mass known as the lobule of the epididymis. The cranial end
bilateral. If the testis does not follow the main gubernacular of the mesonephric duct becomes highly convoluted, com-
structure but follows one of its subsidiary strands, it will end pleting the formation of the epididymis. This is an example of
in an abnormal position, resulting in an ectopic testis. direct inclusion of a nephric structure into the genital system.
Failure of union between the rete testis and mesonephros Additional mesonephric tubules, both cephalad and caudal
results in a testis separate from the male genital ducts (the to those that were included in the formation of the epididy-
epididymis) and azoospermia. mis, remain as rudimentary structures, that is, the appendix
of the epididymis and the paradidymis.
GENITAL DUCT SYSTEM
Alongside the indifferent gonads, there are, early in embry- ▶▶Vas Deferens, Seminal Vesicles, and
Ejaculatory Ducts
onic life, two different yet closely related ducts. One is pri-
marily a nephric duct (Wolffian duct), yet it also serves as a The mesonephric duct caudal to the portion forming the
genital duct if the embryo develops into a male. The other epididymis forms the vas deferens. Shortly before this duct
(Müllerian duct) is primarily a genital structure from the joins the urethra (urogenital sinus), a localized dilatation
start. (ampulla) develops, and the saccular convoluted structure
Both ducts grow caudally to join the primitive urogenital that will form the seminal vesicle is evaginated from its wall.
sinus. The Wolffian duct (known as the pronephric duct at The mesonephric duct between the origin of the seminal

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 26 07/02/20 10:00 AM


EMBRYOLOGY OF THE GENITOURINARY SYSTEM CHAPTER 2 27

vesicle and the urethra forms the ejaculatory duct. The whole tubes (fallopian tubes, oviducts) are the cephalic two-thirds
mesonephric duct now achieves its characteristic thick of the Müllerian ducts (Figure 2–6).
investment of smooth muscle, with a narrow lumen along
most of its length. ANOMALIES OF THE GONADAL DUCT SYSTEM
Both above and below the point of entrance of the meso-
Nonunion of the rete testis and the efferent ductules can
nephric duct into the urethra, multiple outgrowths of ure-
occur and, if bilateral, causes azoospermia and sterility.
thral epithelium mark the beginning of the development of
Failure of the Müllerian ducts to approximate or to fuse com-
the prostate. As these epithelial buds grow, they meet the
pletely can lead to various degrees of duplication in the geni-
developing muscular fibers around the urogenital sinus,
tal ducts. Congenital absence of one or both uterine tubes or
and some of these fibers become entangled in the branch-
of the uterus or vagina occurs rarely.
ing tubules of the growing prostate and become incorporated
Arrested development of the infratubercular segment of
into it, forming its muscular stroma (Figure 2–4).
the urogenital sinus leads to its persistence, with the urethra
and vagina having a common duct to the outside (urogenital
FEMALE DUCT SYSTEM sinus).
The Müllerian ducts, which are a paired system, are seen
alongside the mesonephric duct. It is not known whether EXTERNAL GENITALIA
they arise directly from the mesonephric ducts or separately During the 8th week, external sexual differentiation begins
as an invagination of the celomic epithelium into the paren- to occur. Not until 3 months, however, do the progressively
chyma lateral to the cranial extremity of the mesonephric developing external genitalia attain characteristics that can
duct, but the latter theory is favored. The Müllerian duct be recognized as distinctively male or female. During the
develops and runs lateral to the mesonephric duct. Its open- indifferent stage of sexual development, three small protu-
ing into the celomic cavity persists as the peritoneal ostium berances appear on the external aspect of the cloacal mem-
of the uterine tube (later it develops fimbriae). The other brane. In front is the genital tubercle, and on either side of the
end grows caudally as a solid tip and then crosses in front of membrane are the genital swellings.
the mesonephric duct at the caudal extremity of the meso- With the breakdown of the urogenital membrane (17-mm
nephros. It continues its growth in a caudomedial direction stage, 7th week), the primitive urogenital sinus achieves a
until it meets and fuses with the Müllerian duct of the oppo- separate opening on the undersurface of the genital tubercle.
site side. The fusion is partial at first, so there is a tempo-
rary septum between the two lumens. This later disappears,
leaving one cavity that will form the uterovaginal canal. The
MALE EXTERNAL GENITALIA
potential lumen of the vaginal canal is completely packed The urogenital sinus opening extends on the ventral aspect
with cells. The solid tip of this cord pushes the epithelium of the genital tubercle as the urethral groove. The primitive
of the urogenital sinus outward, where it becomes Müller’s urogenital orifice and the urethral groove are bound on either
tubercle (33-mm stage, 9th week). The Müllerian ducts fuse side by the urethral folds. The genital tubercle becomes elon-
at the 63-mm stage (13th week), forming the sinovaginal gated to form the phallus. The corpora cavernosa is indicated
node, which receives a limited contribution from the uro- in the 7th week as paired mesenchymal columns within the
genital sinus (this contribution forms the lower fifth of the shaft of the penis. By the 10th week, the urethral folds start
vagina). to fuse from the urogenital sinus orifice toward the tip of the
The urogenital sinus distal to Müller’s tubercle, originally phallus. At the 14th week, the fusion is complete and results
narrow and deep, shortens, widens, and opens to form the in the formation of the penile urethra. The corpus spongio-
floor of the pudendal or vulval cleft. This results in separate sum results from the differentiation of the mesenchymal
openings for the vagina and urethra and brings the vaginal masses around the formed penile urethra.
orifice to its final position nearer the surface. At the same The glans penis becomes defined by the development of a
time, the vaginal segment increases appreciably in length. circular coronary sulcus around the distal part of the phallus.
The vaginal vestibule is derived from the infratubercular seg- The urethral groove and the fusing folds do not extend
ment of the urogenital sinus (in males, the same segment will beyond the coronary sulcus. The glandular urethra develops
form the inframontanal part of the prostatic urethra and the as a result of canalization of an ectodermal epithelial cord that
membranous urethra). The labia minora are formed from the has grown through the glans. This canalization reaches and
urethral folds (in males they form the pendulous urethra). communicates with the distal end of the previously formed
The hymen is the remnant of the Müllerian tubercle. The penile urethra. During the 3rd month, a fold of skin at the
lower fifth of the vagina is derived from the portion of the base of the glans begins growing distally and, 2 months later,
urogenital sinus that combines with the sinovaginal node. surrounds the glans. This forms the prepuce. Meanwhile, the
The remainder of the vagina and the uterus are formed from genital swellings shift caudally and are recognizable as scrotal
the lower (fused) third of the Müllerian ducts. The uterine swellings. They meet and fuse, resulting in the formation of

McAninch_CH02_p017-p030.indd 27 07/02/20 10:00 AM


28 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

the scrotum, with two compartments partially separated by Michos O: Kidney development: From ureteric bud formation
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FEMALE EXTERNAL GENITALIA
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In: Raz S (ed): Female Urology. 2nd ed. Saunders, Philadelphia,
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31

3
Symptoms of Disorders of
the Genitourinary Tract

Benjamin N. Breyer, MD, MAS, FACS

In the workup of any patient, the history is of paramount General malaise may be noted with tumors, chronic
importance; this is particularly true in urology. It is neces- pyelonephritis, or renal failure. The presence of many of
sary to discuss here only those urologic symptoms that are these symptoms may be compatible with human immunode-
apt to be brought to the physician’s attention by the patient. ficiency virus (HIV; see Chapter 17).
It is important to know not only whether the disease is acute
or chronic but also whether it is recurrent, since recurring LOCAL AND REFERRED PAIN
symptoms may represent acute exacerbations of chronic
disease. Two types of pain have their origins in the genitourinary
Obtaining the history is an art that depends on the skill organs: local and referred. The latter is especially common.
and methods used to elicit information. The history is only Local pain is felt in or near the involved organ. Thus, the
as accurate as the patient’s ability to describe the symptoms. pain from a diseased kidney (T10–T12, L1) is felt in the cos-
This subjective information is important in establishing an tovertebral angle and in the flank in the region of and below
accurate diagnosis. the 12th rib. Pain from an inflamed testicle is felt in the gonad
itself.
SYSTEMIC MANIFESTATIONS Referred pain originates in a diseased organ but is felt at
some distance from that organ. The ureteral colic (Figure 3–1)
Symptoms of fever and weight loss should be sought. The
caused by a stone in the upper ureter may be associated with
presence of fever associated with other symptoms of urinary
severe pain in the ipsilateral testicle; this is explained by the
tract infection may be helpful in evaluating the site of the
common innervation of these two structures (T11–T12).
infection. Simple acute cystitis is essentially an afebrile dis-
A stone in the lower ureter may cause pain referred to the
ease. Acute pyelonephritis or prostatitis is apt to cause high
scrotal wall; in this instance, the testis itself is not hyperes-
temperatures (≤40°C [104°F]), often accompanied by violent
thetic. The burning pain with voiding that accompanies
chills. Infants and children who have acute pyelonephritis
acute cystitis is felt in the distal urethra in females and in the
may have high temperatures without other localizing symp-
glandular urethra in males (S2–S3).
toms or signs. Such a clinical picture, therefore, invariably
Abnormalities of a urologic organ can also cause pain in
requires bacteriologic study of the urine.
any other organ (eg, gastrointestinal, gynecologic) that has a
A history of unexplained attacks of fever occurring even
sensory nerve supply common to both (Figures 3–2 and 3–3).
years before may otherwise represent asymptomatic pyelo-
nephritis. Renal carcinoma sometimes causes fever that may
reach 39°C (102.2°F) or more. The absence of fever does not ▶▶Kidney Pain (Figure 3–1)
by any means rule out renal infection, for it is the rule that Typical renal pain is felt as a dull and constant ache in the
chronic pyelonephritis does not cause fever. costovertebral angle just lateral to the sacrospinalis muscle
Weight loss is to be expected in the advanced stages of and just below the 12th rib. This pain often spreads along
cancer, but it may also be noticed when renal insufficiency the subcostal area toward the umbilicus or lower abdominal
due to obstruction or infection supervenes. In children who quadrant. It may be expected in the renal diseases that cause
have “failure to thrive” (low weight and less than average sudden distention of the renal capsule. Acute pyelonephritis
height for their age), chronic obstruction, urinary tract infec- (with its sudden edema) and acute ureteral obstruction (with
tion, or both should be suspected. its sudden renal back pressure) both cause this typical pain.

McAninch_CH03_p031-p040.indd 31 07/02/20 10:01 AM


32 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 3–1. Referred pain from kidney (dotted areas) and ureter (shaded areas).

It should be pointed out, however, that many urologic renal The physician may be able to judge the position of a ure-
diseases are painless because their progression is so slow that teral stone by the history of pain and the site of referral. If the
sudden capsular distention does not occur. Such diseases stone is lodged in the upper ureter, the pain radiates to
include cancer, chronic pyelonephritis, staghorn calculus, the testicle, since the nerve supply of this organ is simi-
tuberculosis, polycystic kidney, and hydronephrosis due to lar to those of the kidney and upper ureter (T11–T12).
chronic ureteral obstruction. With stones in the midportion of the ureter on the right side,
the pain is referred to McBurney’s point and may therefore
▶▶Ureteral Pain (Figure 3–1) simulate appendicitis; on the left side, it may resemble diver-
ticulitis or other diseases of the descending or sigmoid colon
Ureteral pain is typically stimulated by acute obstruction (pas-
(T12, L1). As the stone approaches the bladder, inflamma-
sage of a stone or a blood clot). In this instance, there is back
tion and edema of the ureteral orifice ensue, and symptoms
pain from renal capsular distention combined with severe col-
of vesical irritability such as urinary frequency and urgency
icky pain (due to renal pelvic and ureteral muscle spasm) that
may occur. It is important to realize, however, that in mild
radiates from the costovertebral angle down toward the lower
ureteral obstruction, as seen in the congenital stenoses, there
anterior abdominal quadrant, along the course of the ureter.
is usually no pain, either renal or ureteral.
In men, it may also be felt in the bladder, scrotum, or testicle.
In women, it may radiate into the vulva. The severity and col-
icky nature of this pain are caused by the hyperperistalsis and ▶▶Vesical Pain
spasm of this smooth-muscle organ as it attempts to rid itself The overdistended bladder of the patient in acute urinary
of a foreign body or to overcome obstruction. retention causes agonizing pain in the suprapubic area. Other

McAninch_CH03_p031-p040.indd 32 07/02/20 10:01 AM


SYMPTOMS OF DISORDERS OF THE GENITOURINARY TRACT CHAPTER 3 33

▲▲Figure 3–2. Diagrammatic representation of autonomic nerve supply to gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.

McAninch_CH03_p031-p040.indd 33 07/02/20 10:01 AM


34 SMITH & TANAGHO’S GENERAL UROLOGY

▲▲Figure 3–3. Diagrammatic representation of sensory nerves of gastrointestinal and genitourinary tracts.

McAninch_CH03_p031-p040.indd 34 07/02/20 10:01 AM


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Spongy pumice crackled under their feet. A bellow of crashing ice
thundered from the snowy ramparts to the west. It died and there was
silence. No movement stirred in the valley. Quade peered from under
his palm.
“There’s a lake,” he said. “The Zonals are amphibious. Let’s try it.”
If the surface of Titan seemed a bleak desert, the waters of the
satellite provided a strange contrast. The lake was an oval nearly a
mile long. Its surface seethed and bubbled with glowing light—no
wonder Udell had wanted to experiment with dyes! Plant-life made
islands on the surface. There was ceaseless activity in the water and,
every few moments, a bulky glistening body would appear briefly and
vanish again.
Quade hesitated on the edge. There had been a tribe of dangerous
Zonals, he remembered. In fact, there were several, news from
Macao had told him—nomadic groups wandering murderously
around from sea to lake to river. But most of the Zonals were peaceful
enough.
And in this lake—
“Tony!” Wolfe said sharply. “Look there!”
A head broke the water a few dozen feet away. A round, furry head
like a seal’s, with staring eyes. The nose was a snout, the mouth
broad and loose and lipless. But for all the animalism of the creature,
the curve of its head above the eyes, its obvious cranial index,
showed that it must possess a brain of some intelligence.
Quade and Wolfe remained motionless. The water broke into a
seething rush of bubbles and the Zonal came shoreward. It waded
out and stood knee-deep in water, staring blankly.
Its body was thoroughly anthropoid in outline, and curiously graceful
in its sleekly furred, streamlined contours. The Zonal was a little more
than five feet tall. Its hands and feet were huge and webbed.
The Zonal squirted jets of liquid from its eyes. Then it bent and
submerged its head briefly. Wolfe had involuntarily stepped back.
Quade spoke softly.
“Take it easy. Its eyeballs are hollow—it’s got an opaque diaphragm
stretched over ’em, like a kettle-drum. No lens. There’s a hole in the
center of the diaphragm to admit light, and the hollow’s kept filled with
water. Acts as a lens. It’s got perfect vision, though. And—look at that
thing on its back!”
The Zonal, having filled its hollow eyes with water, stood up again,
but Quade and Wolfe had already got a glimpse of the creature’s
flight-sac, a great sausage-shaped object that made it look
humpbacked. The sac had a gristly projection at one end that
suddenly moved and twisted. The Zonal, tiring of the two men’s
company, disappeared.

Wolfe was left blinking at the place where it had been. Quade, who
knew what to expect, looked up. The creature was shooting through
the air like a streamlined spaceship, thirty feet high and going fast.
Quade pointed it out to his companion.
“Uh!” Wolfe said. “It’s worse than a flea. How does it do that?”
“Same way a squid does,” Quade explained, watching the Zonal fall
like a stone toward the ground. A dozen feet above a mound of
gnarled lava the amphibian seemed to halt in the air, then sank down
gently, to stand quietly surveying its surroundings.
“A squid?”
“Or a cuttlefish. Squirts water out of a sac—the old repulsion
principle. Only the Zonals are a little more scientific about it. Those
sacs on their back look soft, but they’re plenty tough.
“They’re filled with gas, continually renewed and manufactured by
letting in air and water to mix with the chemicals of their bloodstream.
When a Zonal wants to move fast he lets off a blast that has the
same effect a rocket-jet has on a spaceship.”
“They don’t have gravity screens, though,” Wolfe said.
Quade smiled.
“Well, no. Here’s this fellow back again.”
The Zonal came flying, bulletlike. Just before he reached the two men
a blast of hissing, suddenly-released gas braked it and the creature
plumped down easily not a yard away.
“Wonder if Udell taught ’em English?” Quade murmured. He put out
his hand gently. “Hello, there. We’re friends—understand? We’re
friends.”
The Zonal touched Quade’s flexible-metal glove with a tentative,
limber finger. Then, gently gripping it in his webbed hand, he eyed it
carefully, lifted it to his mouth, and took a hearty bite.’
Quade yelped, jerked his hand back and nursed a bruised knuckle.
The Zonal, seemingly puzzled, lifted its shoulders in something
suspiciously like a shrug and rocketed back to the lava mound, where
it squatted down to think things over. Meanwhile a dozen new heads
had popped up from the lake near the shore.
“I thought you said they weren’t dangerous,” Wolfe observed.
“They’re not,” Quade gulped, moving his fingers experimentally.
“Ouch! That was just—ah—curiosity.”
“Well, what now?”
“We’ll unload the equipment. Get the cameras set up. The Zonals can
wait a bit. I want to think things over.”
Quade was hoping he didn’t sound as baffled as he felt. He had
hoped that Udell might have educated the amphibians somewhat, but
apparently the creatures were dumber than apes—a lot dumber.
Somehow that didn’t jibe with the sizable brain-cases of the Zonals.
Their cranial indices seemed to hint that there was intelligence in
those sleek furry heads—and Udell had managed to use that savvy.
But how?
How, indeed?
CHAPTER IV
Crackup
Quade had arranged the compact two-man cruiser as a miniature
replica of the giant camera ship and carrying identical equipment. It
was a complete traveling laboratory, with built-in cameras and
searchlights that could stab out from every angle through the
transparent nose. During space flights it remained in its cradle within
the larger vessel, but now it rested on the lava plain near by, ready for
a take-off.
Three days had passed and Quade was still stumped. He couldn’t
penetrate the wall of stupidity that shielded the Zonals from all
advances. Once or twice he thought he was making some headway
with the first Zonal they had encountered—whom Wolfe had
irreverently dubbed Speedy. But Speedy, though extremely curious,
shot off like a rocket whenever Quade felt he was getting somewhere.
In the great camera-ship Quade was donning his protective armor. He
had decided to make a survey of the surrounding terrain in the little
cruiser, on the chance that Udell’s trained Zonals might have
wandered away. The icy rampart was no barrier to them, for they
rocketed over it like birds.
Wolfe, leaning against a table stacked with experimental apparatus,
looked tired.
“Want me to go along, Tony?” he asked.
“You’d better stay here and keep things moving,” Quade said.
“What things?”
“Yeah, I know. Everything’s ready for shooting. We could roll any time
—except for the Zonals. I’ve got to find some way—”
Quade, struggling into his suit, lurched into a cabinet and deftly
caught a small bottle as it fell.
“Neo-curare. Don’t want to smash that. I may use it on myself if I
have to face Von Zorn without a picture.”
“Tony,” Wolfe said hastily. “I think I see Kathleen Gregg.”
“What!”
Quade whirled awkwardly, peering through the ship’s nose. A
gyroplane had landed and a slim figure in gleaming space-armor was
clambering out. It was, indeed, Kathleen.
“Blast!” Quade said, lurching toward a port. Halfway out he
remembered the neo-curare and hastily stuck it in one of the self-
sealing pockets in his suit. Pumice ground under his heels. The
gyroplane, he saw, was already surging up, angling toward the ice
barrier. Kathleen was trotting along briskly, but there was a certain
hesitancy in the look she gave Quade.
He halted in front of the girl. She smiled.
“Why, hello, Tony.”
“Just what are you doing here?” Quade asked. “Or should I guess?”
“It’s sweet of you to say so,” Kathleen observed, tilting her nose
Saturnward. “As a matter of fact, I got rather tired hanging around—”
“So you thought you’d drop in and say hello,” Quade finished for her.
“Now you can turn around and say goodbye and go home.”
“How?”
Quade peered after the departed gyroplane.
“How’d you get here?”
“Took a tramp ship to New Macao and hired a pilot to fly me the rest
of the way.”
“Okay,” Quade said. “See that two-man camera ship? You’re going to
march into it and I’m going to fly you back to New Macao and put you
on a Sunward ship. Catch?”
“Won’t,” Kathleen said, starting to run. Quade deftly caught her, lifted
her kicking figure, and carried her to the cruiser. He dumped her in it
and turned to Wolfe, who had followed.
“Be back as soon as I can. Keep things moving.”
“Right. Hello, Kathleen,” Wolfe said pleasantly. “Goodbye now.”

He shut the port and departed. Quade silently turned to the controls
and lifted the ship. Kathleen, standing beside him, was not silent. She
finished by saying that her engagement to Quade was off, and that he
was a rat.
“Sure I am,” Quade said. “But this is my job and I think it’s a little
dangerous. I’m sure I can handle it. Just the same, I don’t want you
around. For one thing you distract me and for another I’m still
wondering about that virus disease that killed Udell.”
Kathleen sniffed.
“Ha. Hey! We’re being followed.”
Quade threw a magnifying plane on the scanner. A sleek projectile
was rocketing along after the camera cruiser.
“Oh, that’s Speedy,” Quade said. “One of the Zonals. He won’t follow
us long.”
But this proved inaccurate. Speedy stayed on the trail for twenty
miles before he was lost in the distance. Then nothing was visible but
the frigid, Cyclopean peaks of the Devil’s Range, icy and alien in the
pale light of Saturn.
Things began to happen with alarming suddenness.
There are plenty of safety devices on spacecraft, but these depend
on the assurance that you have a skilful and a conscious operator.
Quade was skilful enough, but unfortunately he was knocked cold
when the vessel sideslipped in a sudden blast of air, powerful as a
cyclone, that screamed up from the Devil’s Range. A geyser-heated
valley below made a thermal of racing air that created a maelstrom
where the icy atmosphere of Titan met it.
The camera cruiser turned sidewise and Quade went spinning into
the controls. His head banged against his helmet, which made him
lose all interest in the fact that the ship was plunging down.
Kathleen couldn’t do much about it, though she tried hard enough.
She was wedged under a tangle of apparatus, which imprisoned her
but saved her from serious injury when the ship struck, with a splash
that sent water leaping high.
Creamy, luminous liquid crept over the ship’s nose. An oddly-shaped
fish came to stare in pop-eyed amazement. Then it swam hastily
away.
The ship grounded. Kathleen fought her way free and scrambled up
the tilted floor to where Quade lay. There was blood oozing from his
head, and Kathleen quickly removed the helmet and used the first-aid
kit. But Quade remained stubbornly unconscious.
Two courses were left. Kathleen could fly the ship back to the camp
or she could radio for help. She tried both, but without success. The
controls were smashed, the gravity plates warped and broken.
The cruiser’s day of usefulness was over. The radio was hash. A
telephoto camera was strewn in sections about the room and some of
the carboys of concentrate-dye had torn free from their moorings and
were broken. The floor was awash with yellow and pink fluid.
Kathleen peered up through the ship’s nose. The surface of the lake
beneath which they lay wasn’t far above, she judged. If she could
swim up—that would be easy in the airtight suit. But what about
Tony?
He wouldn’t drown in ten seconds. She inflated both of the suits with
oxygen, dragged Quade into the portal lock and shut the valve behind
her with a futile hope that, if the atmosphere stayed in the ship, it
might rise of its own accord, or at least that it would be easier to
salvage the equipment. She opened the outer door and went head
over heels into the rush of water. Somehow she kept hold of Quade’s
arm.

Luckily, the lock was angled so that they slid out of their own accord,
buoyed up by the oxygen. Quade, still unconscious, blew bubbles.
With panic beginning to dry her throat, Kathleen tightened her grip on
his suit and they shot up like rockets into clear, cool Saturnlight.
Quade was torn away from the girl’s clutch. She blinked and stared
around. He was floating only a few yards away, his face submerged.
Lying flat on the surface, Kathleen paddled to him, dragged his head
up in the crook of her arm and awkwardly made for the shore.
Several sleek objects appeared above the surface and watched her
speculatively. But they were somewhat different from the Zonals
Quade had already encountered. Their heads were flattened, their
jaws heavier. Altogether they lacked the suggestion of good nature
and humanity that the other Zonals had possessed. But they did not
attack, for which Kathleen was duly grateful. She finally reached the
beach and dragged Quade ashore.
He had swallowed little water, being unconscious, and with a small
gasp Kathleen sat down beside him, weak with relief and reaction.
She looked around.
They were in a crater perhaps two miles in diameter, surrounded by
overhanging peaks and glaciers that seemed to be getting ready to
rush down in catastrophic destruction. This lake, a small one, was in
the very center. Plumes of steam flared up here and there, indicating
geysers.
Underfoot was the eternal lava, rising into a jungle labyrinth of twisted
malformations. In the distance Kathleen made out a great black
dome, faintly glistening. But she could not guess its nature.
Meanwhile the Zonals were swimming closer, in a semicircle. They
emerged from the water, dripping, to reveal another way in which they
differed from Quade’s Zonals. The sacs on their backs were shrunken
and atrophied.
Kathleen found it difficult to believe that the creatures were harmless.
She was eying the long, curved claws on the webbed hands, and the
tusklike, capable teeth bared by retracted lips. If she had been alone
she would not have waited to face the amphibians. As it was, Quade
lay unconscious beside her. Neither of the two was armed.
The Zonals slipped closer. There was, Kathleen thought,
unmistakable menace in their attitude. Growls rumbled from their
throats. These weren’t Udell’s tame Zonals, that was certain.
Hastily Kathleen looked about for a weapon, but all she could find
was a good-sized lava chunk. Hefting this, she stood up, waiting.
The Zonals, emerging from the water, closed in. Their growling was
louder now. One amphibian was in the forefront; Kathleen could see
him sinking lower as his furry legs bent and he tensed for a spring.
She hurled the rock.
The amphibian dodged easily. He sidled forward, and behind him
came the others.
A man’s voice shouted. There was the vicious crack of a whip. Again
the harsh voice roared a command. The Zonals hesitated—and
Kathleen looked back hastily to see a giant figure, clothed in rags,
coming forward. Gray-shot red hair bristled wildly. His face was
turned toward the Zonals, but the heavy broad shoulders spoke of
enormous strength.
The whip cracked. The man bellowed an order.

Snarling, the Zonals drew back. Suddenly they broke and fled to the
lake. The man stood waiting till they had submerged and then turned
to Kathleen. He stood quietly facing her, the whip hanging lax.
And something in his face made the girl shiver a little. The features
were strong enough, even harshly handsome. But the glacial black
eyes were—disturbing. There was no trace of expression in them.
They stared like glazed jet marbles, cool and remote.
“My name’s Milo Sherman,” the man said. He glanced at the
unconscious Quade.
As Kathleen opened her mouth, Sherman halted her with an upraised
palm.
“Better talk as we go. The Zonals are dangerous.” He laughed
unpleasantly. “They’re afraid of me, but I take no chances. Come on.”
He bent, hoisted Quade to his shoulders and started toward the
glistening dome Kathleen had already glimpsed. “Now talk,” he
commanded.
Kathleen talked.
“I see,” Sherman said as they rounded a shoulder of lava. “You’re
unlucky. However, you’ll be safe for a while. There’s my castle, see?”
Fifty feet away the building loomed, a dome-shaped structure as high
as a six-story building. It seemed to be built of some gleaming black
substance, broken at intervals by round gaps. Sherman marched
forward, straight toward a blank wall.
No—not entirely blank—there was an inch-wide hole in it. And the
hole began to broaden as they approached, opening till it was a
gaping portal.
They stepped across the threshold. Behind them the hole shrank
again, like a sphincter. They were in a large room, bare except for a
sloping ramp that led up to a gap in the ceiling. A row of luminous
spots glowed in the walls.
Sherman went up the ramp. Kathleen was behind him, a little troubled
now, conscious of some unknown danger. Above, the room was
larger, lighted by similar lightspots in the walls. It was filled with a
clutter of junk—chairs, tables—some of them twisted and broken—
most of them rusty.
“Salvage,” Sherman said. He went to a corner, dropped Quade into a
shallow depression in the floor and tossed his whip aside. Quade’s
body sank down a few inches, as though into an air mattress.
“Well, take off your helmet,” Sherman said coolly. “Make yourself at
home. You’ll be here for life—since there’s no way of getting out of
this valley!”

CHAPTER V
Perilous Valley
Kathleen sat down limply on a rusty chair that squeaked under her
weight. Her fingers felt cold and clumsy as she unscrewed her
helmet, deflated the spacesuit and shook her hair free.
“No way out?” she said. “We could climb—”
“You could try it,” Sherman said, “till you got tired. The glaciers wall us
in. And they crumble. I broke my arm six years ago trying to escape.”
“Six years!”
“I’ve been here seven,” Sherman told her. “I’m the last survivor of the
patrol ship Kestrel, wrecked while making a forced landing in the
Devil’s Range. Three of us escaped with our lives from the crash—
the ship’s doctor, myself and another patrolman. Their graves are
down the valley a bit.” His eyes were blank.
“Seven years here, with the Zonals gradually losing their fear of me.
They multiply faster than I can kill them. Now I’ve got about eight
rounds of ammunition left—no, nine, I see.” He showed an old-
fashioned pistol.
“But the camera crew will search for us.”
“A tiny valley in three hundred miles of mountains? And your friends
won’t know where to look, from what you say? For all they know, you
might have crashed anywhere on Titan.”
He hesitated.
“I’d forgotten something. You’ve got to be inoculated immediately.
Otherwise you’ll just go crazy and die.”
Kathleen blinked. “Huh?”
“The plague—the one you say killed that man Udell and his crew. It
nearly killed us before the Kestrel’s doctor got on the track. You’ve
got the virus in you now.”
“That’s impossible,” the girl said. “Unless we were infected since we
cracked up.”
“You were infected before you ever landed on Titan,” Sherman said
grimly. “The virus is a protein molecule that exists in living organisms
—Zonals and humans alike. Usually it’s harmless—a recessive
characteristic. But under the influence of a certain kind of radiation
the virus becomes actively malignant.”
“I don’t get it.”
Sherman had talked a good deal with the Kestrel’s doctor before the
latter died. He told Kathleen about the tobacco mosaic disease—how
a plant, suffering from common mosaic disease, may suddenly
become victim of a more virulent form—acuba—caused when the
basic molecules change their structure.
“It’s like that,” he said. “There’s a meteor on this continent which
emits rays that develop the latent, harmless virus in one into the
active, malignant form. That’s what originally wrecked the minds of
the Zonals, you know.” He noticed Kathleen’s pallor.
“Don’t worry too much about it. I’m still alive, you see. Our doctor
worked out a cure. The Zonals have antibodies in their bloodstreams
—antibodies strong enough to immunize a human. They developed
’em, but not in time to save themselves from degeneration. I prepared
a fresh batch of serum yesterday—so come along and I’ll inoculate
you.”
“But—will Tony—”
“He’ll be safe here. The Zonals don’t dare come into my castle.”
Kathleen followed Sherman through another of the sphincter doors.
She was thinking of Wolfe and his crew. They were also exposed to
the meteoric radiation—which would eventually kill them unless they
were warned and immunized.

But when Kathleen told Sherman, he merely shrugged.


“We’re in prison here. No radio. No way of communication. Your
ship’s under water and wrecked. So—” He picked up a hypodermic
syringe. “You and your friend—what’s his name, Quade?—you’ll be
safe enough, unless the Zonals kill us. They can’t come in here.”
“This building? Who made it, anyway?”
“The Zonals,” Sherman said. “A long time ago. They were a plenty
intelligent race before the meteor landed and the plague hit them. I’ve
got an idea there used to be a lot of these castles on Equatorial—
bigger ones than this, too. It’s not exactly a building, though. It’s
alive.”
“Alive? How?”
“Hard to believe, isn’t it? I guess there’s nothing like these castles
anywhere else in the System.”
“The studio biologists make robot animals,” Kathleen said doubtfully.
“Yeah? These castles were made by the Zonals once—to live in. As
though a lot of blood corpuscles had got together and built a man to
live in. These castles don’t wear out and they don’t need electricity or
air conditioning—they’ve got everything. Notice how fresh the air is?”
“I hadn’t. But I do now.”
“That’s air conditioning. The castles breathe—they take in air, filter
out the harmful bugs and cool or heat or humidify it if necessary. You
don’t need windows for light, with those eye-spots in the walls.”
The syringe was ready. Sherman made an awkward but careful
injection in Kathleen’s arm.
“You’re safe enough now,” he said. “You’re immune. But you’ll need
occasional booster shots. I’ll fix up your friend next. Look around the
castle if you want—it’s safe enough, as long as you don’t go outside.”
He refilled the syringe and departed.
Kathleen sat down to wait for the inoculation-shock to wear off. It was
some time later when she heard a confused clamor from outside.
Hastily she rose, found the weakness had passed and hurried to the
room where she had left Quade. He still lay unconscious, the syringe
at his side and a wad of cotton still sticking to his bare arm. Sherman
was gone.
Outside the yelling of the Zonals stilled. Sherman’s voice rose. The
growling began. It rose to a roar. The whip cracked violently, but the
noise did not stop, though it sank to a harsh murmur.
Presently Sherman came back into the room, dragging his whip. His
eyes were bleak as ever, but a muscle was twitching under his eye.
Without pausing he said, “You’ve set off the Zonals.”
“I did? How?”
“Ever since I landed here the food supply in the lake has been
diminishing. Before that, too, I suppose—but it got below the danger
point not long ago. The lake’s nearly cleaned out. There’s another
little pool ’way up at the end, but that’s empty too, now.
“The Zonals are hungry. Which adds up to the fact that they figure
we’re good to eat. I told ’em to go catch fish—there must be a few left
—but they didn’t understand me, of course.”
Kathleen gulped. Sherman grinned at her. He went through one of the
sphincter doors and came back with the whip in one hand and a long
knife in the other.
“I may have to fight,” he said. “Our little friends are getting anxious
outside. Here’s my gun. If they get past me—use it.”
The next ten minutes were far too long. It was impossible for
Kathleen to guess what was happening outside; she could only listen
to the muffled snarling and the incessant crack of Sherman’s whip.
Once Quade moaned and stirred and she turned hastily to him, but it
was a false alarm.
Sherman backed into sight. He was retreating very slowly, using both
the lash and his knife. Beyond him the Zonals pressed forward,
snarling.
“Shall I shoot?” Kathleen asked softly.
“Not yet,” Sherman said without turning. “Save it till—”
He stopped talking, for the Zonals’ growling rose to a roar. They
flooded forward into the room, forcing Sherman to give ground. He
swung his whip—and it was caught, dragged from his hand. He went
down under the rush of the amphibians.
Then the creatures were everywhere. Before Kathleen had a chance
to fire, the gun was knocked out of her grip. The Zonals moved far
faster than she had anticipated. She struck out desperately, hearing
Sherman’s hoarse curses as he slugged and battled under a mound
of Zonals.
And just then the gun exploded. A concerted wave of panic caught
the amphibians. They gave ground as the gun crashed again.
It was Quade, on his feet now, placing his shots accurately. The
Zonals were beginning to drift toward the door, a movement that grew
into flight and then to panic. In a minute or less the room was empty
except for the three humans.
Sherman got up, rocking unsteadily.
“Lucky I didn’t use the gun much,” he said. “They’re plenty afraid of it.
But we’re out of ammunition now.”
“A fine thing to wake up to,” Quade said, sitting down and turning a
pale green. “What’s been going on? Kathleen—”
She told him.

CHAPTER VI
Poisoned Javelins
It was indeed alarming news.
“Unarmed, eh?” Quade said when she had finished. Sherman had
gone out of the room, but now he came back in time to hear the
words. He was carrying a bundle of sharpened metal rods.
“Only these,” he said. “I ground ’em a long time ago.”
“Javelins? Mm-m.” Quade dug into a pocket of his spacesuit. “Neo-
curare,” he said, bringing out the bottle. “Lucky I brought it along. If
we smear some of this stuff on the points, it ought to account for a
few Zonals. It’s a fast-acting poison. Anything going on outside?”
There was nothing. They stood in the castle’s door-sphincter. As it
automatically widened, the barren wilderness of the valley became
visible. No Zonals were in sight. The lake glowed phosphorescently in
the distance.
“Here comes something,” Kathleen said.
With a swish and a thump something rocketed into view, plumping
down just outside the threshold. Quade stopped Sherman’s lifted
javelin-arm.
“Hold on. He’s not dangerous. This is Speedy, one of my tame
Zonals. He must have trailed us here.”
It was Speedy, all right and Speedy was staring with wild curiosity at
Quade and the others. The contrast between this amphibian and the
degenerate Zonals of the valley was marked. The fangs and claws of
the decadent tribe didn’t show in Speedy, and his high-arched
cranium hinted at intelligence, not brutal ferocity alone.
“Pencil and paper, quick!” Quade said. “We’ve got a carrier pigeon
here!”
Sherman vanished. He reappeared in a moment, bearing a small
metal cylinder and a length of wire as well as writing equipment.
Quade hastily scribbled a note, thrust it into the cylinder and
cautiously approached Speedy.
The Zonal almost got away, but was betrayed by his suspicion that
Quade’s hand was good to eat. Quade held the amphibian firmly
while he fastened the cylinder to Speedy’s body and tried to keep his
hands out of reach of the nibbling mouth at the same time.
“Hope he doesn’t know how to untie knots,” Kathleen said. “How
about it, Tony? Will he head back for the camp?”
“I don’t know,” Quade said. “Still, that’s where he lives.” He released
the Zonal. “Blow. Take a walk. Rocket off!”
Speedy reached for the metal tube. Quade yelled and clapped his
hands, and the amphibian rocketed away in alarm. He came down
fifty feet away, near a mound of lava and went to work on the wire.
Quade started toward him, running. From behind the lava block came
two of the decadent Zonals, closing in on poor Speedy. He didn’t see
them until too late, and then he went down under the rush, fighting
with feeble valor.
Quade stopped. He couldn’t reach the battle in time, but he still held a
poisoned javelin. He hurled it at the struggling group.
Speedy yelped, waving a bleeding arm grazed by the metal point.
Quade was a poor marksman with this unfamiliar weapon.
But Sherman was a better one. His javelin struck one of the attacking
Zonals and got him through the heart. The other, taking alarm, fled.
Speedy lay limp and unconscious. Quade started to run again,
hearing footsteps behind him. He felt slightly sick. The last chance for
escape was gone now. Then his eye caught a flicker of motion.
Speedy wasn’t dead. He grunted, stood up, swaying, and stared
around.
A yelling came from the lake.
“Come on,” Sherman said urgently. “Let’s get back to the castle. We
haven’t a chance here in the open.”
Speedy suddenly rocketed away. Quade saw him land beside
Kathleen at the castle’s doorway. The two men fled, hearing the thud
of racing feet and the roars of the Zonals rising in volume. They
reached the castle—and Quade got the shock of his life.
“They try kill us, yes?” an unfamiliar voice said hoarsely.
Quade looked at Kathleen, then at Sherman. They, too, were staring.
Again the voice repeated its question. Slowly Quade turned to meet
the unblinking gaze of Speedy.
“This bad place,” the Zonal said. “Better go.”
“He talked,” Kathleen murmured unbelievingly. “He’s intelligent, Tony!”
“Intelligent,” Speedy repeated. “Yes. Your language hard. But Earth
man Udell taught us some words. Speak.”
Quade swallowed.
“Yeah. You speak, all right. But how? Have you been playing dumb all
along?”
Speedy looked puzzled.
“Earth man Udell stick us with needle.”
“That’s it,” Quade said abruptly. “So that was Udell’s trick!” He
glanced around. “We can’t get out. Our ship’s wrecked. Understand?”
Speedy nodded.
“Understand. I get help.”
“You know where the camp is?”
“I know. I go there now. Tell men—bring them here. Yes.”
He rocketed up and was gone. His sleek figure was visible swooping
toward the ice barrier. Then he had crossed it and vanished.
“Let’s go inside,” Quade said. “I’d hate it if the Zonals ate us before
Wolfe got here.”
Inside the castle Quade divided the javelins and passed them around.
“One mystery’s solved,” he said. “There won’t be any trouble in
filming Sons of Titan now. The Zonals are intelligent—but it takes a
shot of neo-curare to make ’em that way.”
“A poison?” Kathleen asked. “Spill it, Tony.”
“A poison to us, not to the Zonals. They’ve a different sort of
physiology. The neo-curare doesn’t hurt ’em. It just liberates their
subconscious.”
“Huh?” Sherman said.
“Here’s the angle. Scientists got on the track a long time ago—’way
back before nineteen-forty. They experimented with a dog—trained
him to do certain things at the sound of a bell, a conditioned reflex,
you know. Then they doped him with curare and developed other
habit-patterns in his brain, also set in action by the bell.
“They proved the two had two independent behavior-systems in his
mind—that both could be trained to react to the same stimulus and do
it independently of each other. It works like that with the Zonals.”

Kathleen blinked. Quade went on.


“It’s logical enough. The virus that wrecked the Zonal culture ruined
only their conscious mind—made ’em idiots. Their subconscious
minds weren’t harmed. They still retain their potential power. But
they’re subconscious, of course—blanketed.
“The neo-curare simply inhibits the higher centers of the brain, the
part that was wrecked by the virus, and releases the subconscious.
And while that’s in control the Zonals are intelligent! This will mean
rehabilitation for the whole race, someday. Udell taught and trained
’em while they were doped with neo-curare.
“So all we have to do is follow Udell’s lead. When we get back to
camp we’ll first of all immunize the men with the antivirus and then
break out the neo-curare. We can finish Sons of Titan in a few
weeks!”
“You forgot something,” Sherman said. “One of the degenerate
Zonals got inoculated with neo-curare too, just now.”
“Well, the javelin also went through his heart,” Quade said. “You can’t
be smart when you’re dead. I dunno about that but I’ve got a
suspicion the neo-curare won’t have the same effect on these Zonals
of yours. They’re so decadent that even their subconscious may be
bestialized.
“They’re almost a different race, as far beneath the regular Zonals as
a hyena is beneath a human being. We can try it out and now’s our
chance, because they’re attacking again. So we can’t wait till Wolfe
arrives. Kathleen, our ship’s wrecked, isn’t it?”
“I think so,” the girl said dubiously. “The plates are smashed.”
“Um. I may be able to do some repair work. It’s worth trying. Your
helmet’s okay, isn’t it?”
Kathleen nodded.
“But you’re not going outside, are you?”
Quade was donning his spacesuit. He pulled the transparent helmet
into place.
“I am,” he said through the diaphragm. “Our javelins won’t keep the
Zonals off long unless the neo-curare will do the trick—and I’m going
to find out. At worst, even if our ship’s wrecked, there’s a gun or two
in the cabin.” He turned to Sherman. “Take it easy. Luck.”
“I’m going with you,” Kathleen decided.

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