Scanning Electron Microscopic Observations of the Normal Transitional Cell Epithelium and Transitional Cell Carcinoma of the Urinary Bladder

Surface Topography of the Healthy and Diseased Transitional Cell Epithelium of the Human Urinary Bladder

“…In this case there is agreement between the present material and the other reports on tumour material (4,7,12).…”

“…In the descriptions in literature of the luminal surface of normal transitional epithelium it is said that in man this is dominated either by fine granular pro cesses (12) or by small ridges (4, 7). The surface is marked in a number of experimental animals by microridges.…”

“…This special plasma membrane forms an impermeable barrier between the organism and urine (9) and is thus essential for the function of the human urinary bladder. The surface relief of the human barrier plasma membrane has been studied using the replica technique (26) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (4,7,12,16,23), however, without discovering whether the surface is dominated by micro ridges or microvilli. The maintenance and renewal of the barrier plasma mem brane is important for the preservation of the bladder's reservoir function.…”