Which structure is NOT located within the hilum of the kidney?

Which structure is NOT located within the hilum of the kidney?

• A. Ureter
• B. Renal artery
• C. Renal vein
• D. Renal pelvis

Answer: (A)

The hilum is the entry and exit site on the kidney where vessels and the renal pelvis pass through. Structures that reside there include the renal artery, renal vein, and the renal pelvis. The ureter, while it originates from the renal pelvis, exits the hilum and travels downward outside the kidney as a retroperitoneal tube. So, the ureter is not located within the hilum itself. The other structures stay within that hilum area, either as vessels or as the proximal urine-collecting chamber.

The hilum is the entry and exit site on the kidney where vessels and the renal pelvis pass through. Structures that reside there include the renal artery, renal vein, and the renal pelvis. The ureter, while it originates from the renal pelvis, exits the hilum and travels downward outside the kidney as a retroperitoneal tube. So, the ureter is not located within the hilum itself. The other structures stay within that hilum area, either as vessels or as the proximal urine-collecting chamber.