Rare combined variation of left suprarenal vessels associated with retroaortic left renal vein

Abstract

Suprarenal vascular variations should be known to surgeons performing laparoscopic adrenalectomy, partial nephrectomy, living donor nephrectomy and renal transplantation. A rare case of vascular variation of the left suprarenal gland was observed, in which the left suprarenal vein was draining into the inferior vena cava after crossing the abdominal aorta anteriorly, just below the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. The left inferior suprarenal artery was originating from the left gonadal artery, which originated from the abdominal aorta in front of the left renal artery. Besides this, the left renal vein passed obliquely downwards behind the abdominal aorta and drained into the inferior vena cava. The retroaortic left renal vein may lead to unilateral hematuria, left varicocele and could be a cause of infertility in men.