Anomalous left adrenal venous drainage directly into the inferior vena cava

Abstract

Primary hyperaldosteronism is a potential cause of hypertension. Unilateral adrenal adenoma and bilateral adrenal cortical hyperplasia are the most common causes of primary hyperaldosteronism. Adrenal venous sampling is employed as the gold standard test to differentiate between these two different causes when the results of other studies in the work-up protocol are non-diagnostic or ambiguous. Adrenal venous sampling can be a challenging procedure, especially in the presence of anomalous venous drainage patterns. Knowledge of normal adrenal venous anatomy, as well as possible variants, is therefore important to ensure a successful procedure. The authors describe an unusual variant of left adrenal venous drainage directly into the IVC.