Anatom3DRenal medulla & pyramids
Medulla renalis et pyramides renales · Dřeň ledviny a pyramidy
Urinary system
Looks like
The inner part of the kidney, arranged as 8–18 striped cone-shaped pyramids pointing inward.
What it does
Concentrates urine using the loops of Henle and collecting ducts.
Keeping it well
Dehydration and some painkillers harm it; sickle cell and long-term painkiller overuse can kill the tips of the pyramids.
Related conditions
- Acute kidney injury
- Amyloidosis (AL and ATTR)
- Bladder cancer
- Chronic kidney disease
- Dehydration & electrolyte disorders
- Diabetes insipidus (arginine vasopressin deficiency)
- Diabetic ketoacidosis
- Glomerulonephritis
- Haemolytic uraemic syndrome
- Hantavirus infection
- High blood pressure
- Hydronephrosis
- Hyperparathyroidism
- IgA nephropathy
- Kidney cancer
- Kidney infection
- Kidney stones
- Lead poisoning
- Leptospirosis (Weil's disease)
- Nephrotic syndrome
- Poisoning & overdose
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Pre-eclampsia
- Renal artery stenosis
- Rhabdomyolysis
- SIADH (inappropriate antidiuretic hormone)
- Systemic lupus erythematosus
- Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP)
- Toxic shock syndrome
- Tuberous sclerosis complex
- Vesicoureteral reflux
- Wilms tumour (nephroblastoma)
- Yellow fever