Duct of Bellini

The duct of Bellini is an anatomical structure of the kidneys, also known as papillary (collecting) duct.

The straight or collecting tubes commence in the radiate part of the renal cortex, where they receive the curved ends of the distal convoluted tubules.

They unite at short intervals with one another, the resulting tubes presenting a considerable increase in caliber, so that a series of comparatively large tubes passes from the bases of the medullary rays into the renal pyramids.

In the medulla the tubes of each pyramid converge to join a central tube, the duct of Bellini, which finally opens on the summit of one of the renal papillae; the contents of the tube are therefore discharged into one of the renal calyces.

Eponym

So named in honor of its discoverer, Italian anatomist Lorenzo Bellini (1643-1704).

Cancer of Bellini's Duct

Collecting duct, or Bellini's duct, carcinoma is a relatively rare subtype of renal cell carcinoma (RCC), accounting for less than 1% of all RCCs ( Kennedy et al, 1990 ; Rumpelt et al, 1991 ; Carter et al, 1992 ; Störkel et al, 1997 ; Srigley and Eble, 1998 ; Swartz et al, 2002 ). Many reported cases have occurred in younger patients, often in the third, fourth, or fifth decade of life ( Carter et al, 1992 ). Collecting duct carcinomas are derived from the medulla, but many are infiltrative, and extension into the cortex is common ( Pickhardt et al, 2001 ). Most reported cases have been high grade and advanced stage and have not responded to conventional therapies ( Carter et al, 1992 ; Chao et al, 2002b ; Polascik et al, 2002 ; Mejean et al, 2003 ; Tokuda et al, 2004 ). Most patients are symptomatic at presentation ( Tokuda et al, 2004 ). Immunohistochemical and molecular analyses suggest that collecting duct RCC may resemble transitional cell carcinoma, and some patients with advanced collecting duct RCC have responded to cisplatin- or gemcitabine-based chemotherapy ( Milowsky et al, 2002 ; Peyromaure et al, 2003 )

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.