Multiple left accessory renal vessels

Chelsea M Lohman Bonfiglio, Ke

Abstract

Anatomical variations of the abdominal aorta are common. Using standard techniques, abdominal and renal vessels were dissected and measured. Six accessory renal vessels were identified on the left. One accessory artery from the posterolateral abdominal aorta entered the hilum superior to the main renal artery and a corresponding accessory vein emptied into the main renal vein. Two accessory arteries from the left common iliac artery entered the kidney’s inferomedial and inferolateral pole. The corresponding accessory veins emptied into the left common iliac vein, and a lumber vein posterior to the abdominal aorta, respectively. The number of accessory renal vessels in this specimen is unusual, and the branching pattern is extremely rare. Knowledge of these variations is important for surgical procedures such as transplantation, vascular reconstruction, and abdominal aortic aneurism reconstruction. Additionally, the presence of accessory renal vessels has been associated with renal pathology such as hypertension and hydronephrosis.