Objective: To emphasize the incidence and clinical, diagnostic and surgical
implications of left renal vein developmental anomalies.
Design: Retrospective analysis of case notes.
Setting: Clinical Anatomy Department and Surgery Department, Faculty of Med
icine, University of Valencia, Spain.
Patients, participants: Standard radiological examinations (CT scan) perfor
med on 745 patients; surgical findings at operation in 128 patients with ao
rto-iliac atherosclerotic disease, and 72 donor cadavers for transplantatio
n.
Main outcome measures: Incidence of left renal vein anomalies (retro-aortic
left renal vein and peri-aortic renal venous collar), based on radiologica
l (CT scan) and surgical observations. Analysis of implications to surgical
. management.
Results: The radiological series disclosed a 2.68% incidence of left renal
vein anomalies: 1.33% retroaortic left renal vein, and 1.33% peri-aortic re
nal venous collar. The surgical series showed a 1.5% incidence of both anom
alies.
Conclusions: The importance is stressed of these relatively uncommon but ha
zardous conditions, which should be familiar to anatomists, radiologists an
d surgeons.