Developmen

t of urinary
bladder &
urethra
 Cloaca
• The urinary bladder is derived mainly from the cloaca.
• The cloaca is the caudal part of the hindgut. It is closed by the cloacal membrane.
• The mesonephric ducts open into its ventral part.
• At day- 16 day small diverticulum projects from the cloaca into the connecting stalk.
This diverticulum is called allontois or urachus.
 Subdivisions of Cloaca
• mesodermal septum called urorectal septum extends in the angle between the
allontois and hindgut. It grows towards the cloacal membrane.
The urorectal septum divides the colaca completely into two canals:
• 1- Dorsally: anorectal canal closed by anal membrane.
• 2- Ventrally: primitive urogenital sinus closed by urogenital membrane. It receives the
openings of the mesonephric ducts and the allantois (urachus).
 Development of urinary bladder
The primitive urogenital sinus is divided into two parts by an imaginary line at
the level of openings of mesonephric ducts:
1. Upper part called vesico-urethral canal above.
2. Lower part called definitive urogenital sinus below.
 Development of urinary bladder
The mucosa of the bladder:
• The vesico-urethral canal dilates to form the mucosa of most of the bladder.
• The proximal part of allontois (urachus) is absorbed into the urinary bladder
to form its apex.
• The distal part is of allontois obliterated to form the median umbilical
ligament which connects the apex of the bladder with the umbilicus
• The mesonephric ducts up to the opening of the ureteric buds are absorbed
into the wall of the urinary bladder. They give rise to the trigone of urinary
bladder.
• Firstly it is covered by mesoderm. Later on the entoderm migrates to cover it.
The muscles of the bladder: develop from the mesoderm surrounding the
vesico-urethral canal.
 Development of urinary bladder
The mucosa of the bladder:
• The vesico-urethral canal dilates to form the mucosa of most of the bladder.
• The proximal part of allantois (urachus) is absorbed into the urinary bladder
to form its apex.
• The distal part is of allantois obliterated to form the median umbilical
ligament which connects the apex of the bladder with the umbilicus
• The mesonephric ducts up to the opening of the ureteric buds are absorbed
into the wall of the urinary bladder. They give rise to the trigone of urinary
bladder.
• Firstly it is covered by mesoderm. Later on the entoderm migrates to cover it.
The muscles of the bladder: develop from the mesoderm surrounding the
vesico-urethral canal.
 Congenital anomalies
Agenesis.
Fistulae of urinary bladder: due to incomplete
division of the cloaca. Hence the primitive
urogental sinus remains partially connected
with the anorectal canal. This fistula may be: 1.
Recto-vesical: between the rectum and urinary
bladder. It occurs in males only. 2. Recto-
uterine or rectovaginal occurs in females.
Ectopia vesica: This condition is due to failure
of development of muscles of the lower part of
anterior abdominal wall and anterior wall of
urinary bladder. The mucosa in the anterior
wall of the bladder ruptured. The posterior wall
of the urinary bladder is exposed to the
anterior surface.
 Congenital anomalies of urachus
• Cloacal exstrophy: a severe birth defect where much of the abdominal organs
(the bladder and intestines) are exposed.
• Bladder exstrophy, exstrophy-epispadias complex: a spectrum of anomalies of
the lower abdominal wall, bladder, anterior bony pelvis, and external genitalia.
 Congenital anomalies of urachus
• Urachal fistula: persistence of the urachus as a duct connecting the apex of the
urinary bladder with the umbilicus. The umbilicus discharge urine.
• Urachal cyst: the urachus obliterates at its both ends and remains patent in its
middle part which is filled by secretion from its mucosa to form a cyst.
• Urachal sinus: the urachus obliterates except at its proximal part to form internal
urachal sinus or at its distal part to form external cervical sinus.
 Development of urethra
The urethra is endodermal in origin EXCEPT the part in
glans penis which is ectodermal in origin.
The primitive urogenital sinus is subdivided into:
1. Vesicourethral canal
2. Difinitve urogenital sinus
The definitive urogenital sinus is subdivided by the pelvic
diaphragm into two parts:
3. Pelvic part: above.
4. Phallic part: below.
The phallic part is divided by the perineal membrane
which develops below the pelvic diaphragm into two
parts:
5. Cranial part: above the perineal membrane.
 Development of female urethra
Anatomically: the female urethra is divided by the perineal membrane into two
parts; part above and part below.
Embryologically:
The part above the perineal membrane develops from:
a. Caudal part of vesicourethral canal.
b. Pelvic part of definitive urogenital sinus.
c. Cranial part of phallic part of definitive urogenital sinus.
The part below the perineal membrane develops from:
the caudal part of phallic part of definitive urogenital sinus.
 Development of male urethra
Anatomically the male urethra is formed from:
1- Prostatic part: passes through the prostate. It is divided by entrance of the ejaculatory ducts into
upper and lower parts.
2- Membranous part: lies in the deep perineal pouch.
3- Penile part: the longest part. It lies in the corpus spongiosum of penis and small part lies in glans
penis.
Embryologically:
1- The upper part of prostatic urethra develops from the caudal part of vesicourethral canal.
2- The lower part of prostatic urethra develops from pelvic part of definitive urogenital sinus.
3- The membranous urethra develops from the cranial part of phallic part of definitive urogenital
sinus.
4- The penile urethra develops from the caudal part of phallic part of definitive urogenital sinus
EXCEPT the part in the glans penis which is ectodermal in origin.
N.B: The development of penile urethra will be described with development of male external genitalia.
 Congenital anomalies
of urethra
Epispadias: this consists of a defect in the
dorsal wall of the urethra so that it ends
by an opening on the upper (dorsal) side
of the penis.
• It can also occur in girls when the
urethra develops too anteriorly.
• Epispadias occurs in 1 in 120,000 males
and 1 in 450,000 females.
• The urethra is displaced dorsally so that
it opens on to the top of the penis in
males. Females have a bifid clitoris and
separation of the labia.
 Congenital anomalies of urethra
Hypospadias: the urethral opening is not at the usual location on the head
of the penis but is below it.
• In 90% of cases, the meatus is on or near the glans (distal hypospadias).
• In the remainder the meatus is near or within the scrotum (proximal
hypospadias). It may result from failure of the urinary channel to
tubularise completely.
 Congenital anomalies of urethra
• Urethral stricture: the most common sites are the fossa navicularis and
the membranous urethra. Severe cases result in damage to the bladder
and in hydronephrosis due to back pressure of urine.
Thank you