Fetal Lobulation or Lobation and Column of Bertin Hypertrophy

Abstract

Fetal and early-age children kidneys consist of separate lobes delimited by deep sulci from each other – the so-called “fetal lobulation or lobation” (↑). The kidneys have humpy surfaces.

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Fetal and early-age children kidneys consist of separate lobes delimited by deep sulci from each other – the so-called “fetal lobulation or lobation” (↑). The kidneys have humpy surfaces. As children grow, the lobes coalesce forming a smooth surface of kidneys in adults, but in 4–5 % of patients, the fetal lobulation remains. During CT normal enhancement of the cortical zone must be observed but with deep surface clefts in projections of Bertin septa.

Column of Bertin (∆) represents a hypertrophied wide and long cortical band deeply penetrating between the pyramids of medullary tissue.

Both developmental variants have no clinical value, but they are often mistaken for renal tumors.