Korean J Radiol.  2013 Oct;14(5):786-788. 10.3348/kjr.2013.14.5.786.

MDCT Findings of Right Circumaortic Renal Vein with Ectopic Kidney

• Kim MK
• Ku YM
• Chun CW
• Lee SL

• KMID: 1711434
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3348/kjr.2013.14.5.786

Abstract

Anomalies of renal vasculature combined with ectopic kidneys were found on a multi-detector CT scan. Knowledge of renal vascular variation is very important for surgical exploration, radiologic intervention and staging for urologic cancer. We present an extremely rare case of a right circumaortic renal vein combined with a right ectopic kidney. The right kidney was located at the level between the third and fifth lumbar vertebra. The right circumaortic renal vein crossed the aorta and returned to the inferior vena cava behind the aorta.

Keyword

Renal vein; Variation; Ectopic; Kidney; Multi-detector CT

MeSH Terms

Adult
Humans
Kidney/*abnormalities/blood supply/radiography
Kidney Diseases/congenital/*radiography
Male
*Multidetector Computed Tomography
Renal Veins/*abnormalities/radiography
Vena Cava, Inferior/abnormalities/radiography

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Forty two-year-old man with traumatic splenic rupture and hemoperitoneum. A. Consecutive axial images (order is marked by numbers 1 through 8) from contrast-enhanced CT study demonstrate that anterior portion of right circumaortic renal vein (white long arrows in 7 and 8) emerges from ectopic kidney and crosses aorta anteriorly. Posterior portion of right circumaortic renal vein (black long arrows in 1-6) ascend approximately 2 cm and course between aorta and vertebral body before draining into IVC. Right polar renal artery (white short arrows in 1-6) arises from aorta. Hemoperitoneum (★) is noted in right paracolic gutter. B. Coronal reformatted image shows origin of right polar renal artery (arrow). Traumatic splenic lacerations (curved arrows) and hemoperitoneum (★) are also noted. C. Volume rendering image shows circumfluent course of right renal vein (white arrows) around aorta before draining into IVC. D, E. Conceptual framework for development of right circumaortic renal vein. Embryonic vessels (1 through 7) that related to development of renal vein and IVC. There is persistence of intersubcardinal anastomosis (3), left suprasubcardinal anastomosis (7) and intersupracardinal anastomosis (4). Note that regression of dorsal vein and portion of right supracardinal and subcardinal vein (shaded portions in E). Ao = aorta, IV = inferior vena cava, 1 = supracardinal vein, 2 = subcardinal vein, 3 = intersubcardinal anastomosis, 4 = intersupracardinal anastomosis, 5 = ventral vein, 6 = dorsal vein, 7 = left suprasubcardinal anastomosis

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