An Anatomical Study of the Retroaortic Left Renal Vein

Abstract

Summary:Retroaortic left renal vein was found in a 55-year-old male cadaver during a student course anatomical dissection. This anomaly coursed dorsal to the abdominal aorta and opened into the inferior vena cava at the upper level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra.This retroaortic left renal vein connected directly to the azygos vein system and the 3rd lumbar vein. It also received the posterior suprarenal and posterior inferior phrenic veins.Because of its anatomical location, the retroaortic left renal vein, and anomalous left renal vein coursing behind the abdominal aorta, has received a clinical attention for the surgical retroperitoneal operations and the misinterpretation of clinical diagnosis (Thomas, 1970;Brener et aL , 1974;Moul et al., 1992) as well as the rise in internal pressure of the left renal vein. This anomaly has been detectable by clinicians using computerized tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound examination, and thus, reported recently in many clinical cases (Hoeltl et al., 1990;Moul et al., 1992). Since the development of the retroperitoneal veins including the left renal vein is highly complex (McClure and Butler, 1925), a full understanding of the regional anatomy of this anomaly and its related veins is imperative not only for surgical operations but also for the knowledge of the venous morphogenesis. However, the retroaortic left renal vein has been described in detail by only 3 dissected cases in the anatomical literature (Kitamura et al., 1979;Izumiyama and Horiguchi, 1997).Recently, we have found the retroaortic left renal vein during a student course dissection. Since this anomaly is not only rare case but also is seemed to be significant for understanding the development of the retroperitoneal venous system, we report here a detailed anatomy of this anomaly and its related vessels, and discuss its anatomical and embryological significance. Materials and MethodsA total of 203 Japanese bodies were dissected in the anatomical practice during a period of 1993 through 1999 at the Kumamoto University School of Medicine. In this period, an anomalous left renal vein was found in the cadaver of a 55-year-old Japanese male who died from cancer of the rectum. This anomaly and its related vessels in the retroperitoneal cavity were carefully examined, and the findings were recorded by line drawings and photographs. ObservationsA single left renal vein emerging from the renal hilum at the middle level of the 2nd lumbar vertebra ran horizontally for a distance of 25 mm, then course obliquely caudal and dorsal to the abdominal aorta, and finally opened into the left margin of the inferior vena cava (IVC) at the upper level of the 3rd lumbar vertebra (Figs. 1, 2). This opening was 40 mm distal to the caudal side of the opening for the right renal vein and 22 mm in diameter, while the diameter of the IVC was 25 mm. The

A Rare Anomaly of the Left Renal Vein in the Laboratory of Anatomy of Bamako (Mali)

“…It can return the cure of this difficult affection if the surgeon has no it preoperative, the information about the presence of this anomaly. The left renal vein can be drained in the inferior vena cava at the level of its face lower as in our observation or be connected in the system azygos at the level of the 3 rd lombale vertebra [7]. The left renal vein can connect at the level of the left common iliac vein [8].…”

Morphological study of a horseshoe kidney with special reference to the vascular system

“…We also found that the left renal vein received a posterior (retropelvic) vein, which was located behind the renal pelvis and communicated with the second lumbar vein. Such communication between the renal and lumbar veins has been reported in normal cases and anomalous cases of the retroaortic left renal vein or the renal collar (Kitamura et al ., 1979; Okamoto, 1990; Morishima et al ., 1996; Izumiyama & Horiguchi, 1997; Yoshinaga et al ., 2000). It has been suggested that the posterior renal vein might be derived from the subsupracardinal anastomosis and occurs during renal ascent in development (Okamoto, 1990).…”

A Study of Anomalies of Left Renal Vein

“…Japanese studies are among the few anatomical studies available in literature where very low incidence of RALRV was observed. A study conducted in203 Japanese cadavers only 1 case (0.49%) of RALRV was found [18] .The other Japanese studies by Okamoto (1990) and Izumiyama and Horiguchi (1997) the incidence was reported to be 0.74% and 0.75%, respectively [19,20]. Racial Differences may be the cause for such low incidence in these studies.…”