Figure 13.

High-resolution three-dimensional images reveal minimal tubular connections to damaged proximal tubules in “atubular” glomeruli. (A) An “atubular” glomerulus does not show overt abnormalities in a single section and requires serial sections to show lack of cuboidal cells and lack of visible tubular connection. A nearby tubule shows evidence of degradation with reduced nuclear staining and apparently collapsed lumen. (B) An angled plane cut through a 3D reconstruction of same glomerulus allows visualization of miniscule connection of glomerulus to associated damaged proximal tubule.