Association of congenital left renal vein anomalies and unexplained hematuria: multidetector computed tomography findings

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate whether congenital renal vein anomalies are involved in the etiology of hematuria by analyzing abdominal multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) results.

Methods: Six hundred and eighty patients undergoing MDCT for various abdominal pathologies in whom possible causes of hematuria were excluded were retrospectively assessed in terms of left renal vein anomalies, such as circumaortic left renal vein (CLRV), retroaortic left renal vein (RLRV) and multiple renal vein (MRV). Patients with CLRV, RLRV or MRV and patients with normal left renal veins were compared in terms of the presence of hematuria.

Results: Left renal vein anomalies were detected in 100 patients (14.7%). RLRV, CLRV and MRV were identified in 5.4, 2.5 and 6.8% of patients, respectively. Hematuria was determined in 8.1% of patients with an RLRV anomaly and in 10.5% of patients with no RLRV anomaly (p=0.633). Hematuria was detected in 23.5% of patients with a CLRV anomaly and 10.1% of those without (p=0.074), and in 21.7% of patients with an MRV anomaly and 9.6% of those without (p=0.009).

Conclusions: In addition to increasing risk of complication during retroperitoneal surgery, numeric congenital renal vein anomalies are also significant in terms of leading to clinical symptoms such as hematuria.