GOOD NEWS: We have fixed the DICOM uploading problem. New cases should work fine. More info radiopaedia.org/chat

Retroaortic left renal vein

Case contributed by Matthew Lukies
Diagnosis certain

Presentation

Abdominal pain for investigation. Incidental anatomical variant identified.

Patient Data

Age: 85 years
Gender: Female
ct
  • retroaortic left renal vein
  • double right renal veins emptying directly into the inferior vena cava
  • cyst at the inferior pole of the right kidney

Case Discussion

Retroaortic left renal vein is an anatomic variant typically identified as an incidental finding on imaging. Whilst usually asymptomatic, a retroaortic left renal vein can be compressed by the aorta and cause venous congestion of the kidney or left gonadal vein, leading to varicocele (male) or pelvic congestion syndrome (female). A retroaortic left renal vein is also important to note prior to performing any renal/retroperitoneal surgery.

How to use cases

You can use Radiopaedia cases in a variety of ways to help you learn and teach.

Creating your own cases is easy.

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.