The accessory renal arteries: A systematic review with meta-analysis

The accessory renal arteries (ARAs) are a well-described variant of the renal vasculature with clinical implications for radiologists, surgeons, and clinicians. The aim of the present systematic review with meta-analysis was to estimate the pooled prevalence of ARAs, including their variant number, origin, and termination, and to highlight symmetrical and asymmetrical morphological patterns. The systematic review used four online databases in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and Evidence-based Anatomy Workgroup guidelines. R programming software was used for the statistical meta-analysis. A total of 111 studies were considered eligible for our initial aim. The typical renal artery (RA) anatomy (a single bilateral vessel) was identified in 78.92%; the overall ARA prevalence was estimated at a pooled prevalence of 21.10%. The estimated pooled prevalence of one, two, three, and four ARAs were 18.67%, 1.80%, 0.01%, and <0.01%. The ARAs have been the subject of extensive research owing to their clinical importance, including in kidney transplantation surgery and resistant hypertension therapy. Knowledge of the typical and variant anatomy of RAs is essential for anatomists, radiologists, surgeons, and clinicians in order to avoid misunderstanding, complications, and iatrogenic injury.