Retro-aortic left renal vein--an anatomic variation description and review of literature
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Updated: May 19, 2026

Anatomical Reconstructions of the Human Cardiac Venous System using Contrast-computed Tomography of Perfusion-fixed Specimens
Published on: April 18, 2013
H Yekappa Suma1, Kulkarni Roopa
1Department of Anatomy, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry-605006, India. suma_1478@yahoo.com
Abstract:
This study reports the presence of a retro-aortic renal vein on the left side draining into the inferior vena cava. This variation was observed during routine dissection in a female cadaver aged about 55 years. This variation is of importance because of its implications in renal transplantation, renal surgery, vascular surgery, uroradiology and gonadal surgeries. The knowledge of such variations can help the clinicians for its recognition and protection.
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