ABSTRACT
The first goal of this chapter is to provide an overview of the embryological events that lead to the formation of the upper and lower urinary tract in women. Normal female lower urinary tract development cannot be discussed in isolation from that of the rectum, anus, and vagina. Therefore, a good deal of attention will be focused on the embryology of the cloaca and the process whereby it is transformed into the perineum. The traditional embryology literature was highly descriptive based on clinical observations and twodimensional line drawings. The modern world of developmental biology has changed as embryology may now be visualized in three dimensions, and congenital defects can be examined during the course of development using mice with targeted genetic anomalies. The second goal of this chapter is to briefly discuss the genetic and molecular signals that enable these complex structures to develop. The final goal of this chapter is to provide clinical examples of malformations that arise when deviations from this path of normal development occur.
