Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Renal Veins

Excerpt

The 2 kidneys of the human body are typically drained of blood by a single vessel, the renal vein. Each renal vein courses through the abdominal cavity on either side of the body medially before reaching the inferior vena cava. Their paths parallel the trajectory of the renal arteries, and the left renal vein is longer than the right renal vein. There are many clinically significant anatomical variants of the course the renal veins may take and dissimilar distributions of the venous tributaries that drain into the renal veins. The renal veins are not symmetrical, as the left and right renal veins have considerably different paths as they travel away from the kidneys, draining the blood from each kidney as well as other organ systems, including the gonads, adrenal glands, and diaphragm. Owing to the increasing number of renal transplants, vascular surgeries, laparoscopic abdominal surgeries, and abdominal imaging being performed in the United States, having an understanding of the normal anatomic relationship of the renal vasculature and the prevalence of any possible variations is paramount.