The double retro-aortic left renal vein.
10.5115/acb.2012.45.4.282
- Author:
Dong Soo KYUNG
1
;
Jae Ho LEE
;
Deuk Yong SHIN
;
Dae Kwang KIM
;
In Jang CHOI
Author Information
1. Department of Anatomy, Keimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. ijchoi@dsmc.or.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Renal veins;
Variation;
Retro-aortic
- MeSH:
Aorta;
Cadaver;
Humans;
Kidney;
Male;
Renal Veins;
Spine;
Vena Cava, Inferior
- From:Anatomy & Cell Biology
2012;45(4):282-284
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
The renal veins drain the kidney into the inferior vena cava and unite in a variable fashion to form the renal vein. The left renal vein is normally located in front of the aorta. However, the retro-aortic renal vein may course posterior to the aorta due to embryological developmental anomalies. During educational dissection, a rare variation of the left renal vein was found in a 66-year old male cadaver. The double retro-aortic renal veins coursed behind the aorta to drain into the inferior vena cava. The superior retro-aortic renal vein drained into the inferior vena cava at the lower border of the L2 vertebra, and the inferior retro-aortic renal vein drained into the inferior vena cava at the upper border of the L4 vertebra. Such a variant is rare, and is a clinically important observation which should be noted by vascular surgeons, oncologists, and traumatologists.
