A rare presentation of the left renal vein

Abstract

The Left Renal vein lies ventral to the left renal artery at the hilum and drains into the inferior vena cava at a right angle, at the level of L2 vertebra. The left renal vein is usually three times the length of the right renal vein. It is a common vessel of drainage for left gonadal vein, left suprarenal vein and left inferior phrenic vein. During routine dissections at Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, in an elderly female cadaver, variations in the left renal vein anatomy was observed. Abdominal viscera and fascia were methodically removed to reflect the posterior abdominal wall from an anterior aspect of view. Lengths of both veins were measured. As a result, two prominent tributaries draining the left kidney were observed, uniting to form the left renal vein, dorsal to the left renal artery. The left inferior phrenic vein joined the left suprarenal vein to subsequently drain into the left renal vein. The left ovarian vein drained directly in to the left renal vein. Two lumbar veins were also observed to drain through a common vein in to the left renal vein. The left renal vein ran inferomedially in an oblique course to drain into the inferior vena cava at an angle of 60 degrees clockwise at the level of the L4 segment. The length of the left and the right renal veins were respectively 11.8 cm and 3.2 cm, both longer than usual. Understanding the variations in renal vascular anatomy is important for urological surgeons to ensure haemostasis during surgery.