Case Reports
Guiyun Zhang, Richard R Schmid
Abstract
Horseshoe kidney with variable vascular supply is of interest to clinicians and anatomists due to its immense surgical significance. A horseshoe kidney encountered during cadaveric dissection is reported here. The left kidney is vertical and the right kidney is slightly horizontal. The isthmus is narrow and 1.5 cm inferior to the inferior mesenteric artery. The hilum of the right kidney opens anteriorly and the left opens anteromedially. The ureters lie on the anterior surfaces of both kidneys. In addition to renal arteries arising from the aorta described in previous reports, a unique renal artery (Renal Artery 3) was found supplying the right kidney. This RA3 originates from the aorta at L3 vertebral level and takes a long and tortuous course to reach the hilum of the right kidney. Such arterial variation is important for surgical procedures involving the abdominal aorta.