Anatomical characteristics of the left suprarenal vein (V. suprarenalis sinistra)

Our study was performed on 82 cases, using as study methods the dissection and the plastic injection (Technovit 7143) followed by NaOH corrosion. The suprarenal vein traject was always straight, presenting two aspects: in 54.55 % of cases it was an oblique infero-medial traject and in 45.45 % of cases it was a vertical traject. The traject of the left gonadal vein was oblique supero-medial in 55.56 % of the cases and in 44.44 % of cases was vertical. Unlike the corresponding suprarenal vein, the left gonadal vein showed, in 19.44 % of cases, a sinuous traject. Regarding the left suprarenal vein termination site, we found that in 24 cases (50 % of cases), the suprarenal vein was lateral to the aorta, in 41.67 % of cases being closer to the aorta and 8.33 % of cases halfway aorta-left kidney. In the other 24 cases, the left suprarenal vein ends into the left renal vein in front of the aorta, in 25 % of cases on the anterolateral face of the aorta and in 33.33 % of cases closer to the midline; in one case this termination was right beyond the middle of the anterior face of the aorta. The termination of the left gonadal vein was assessed in 75 % of cases on the aortic side, in 37.5 % of cases being closer to the aorta and also in 37.5% of all cases being halfway aorta-left kidney. In 25% of the cases the left gonadal vein ended in into the renal vein on its anterolateral aspect. Comparing the renal termination of the suprarenal and gonadal veins we found that in 29.27 % of cases they ended at the same level, but in only 7.32 % of cases both veins had a vertical traject. In 60.97 % of the cases the gonadal vein ends lateral to the suprarenal vein and only in 9.76 % of the cases the gonadal vein ends medial to the suprarenal vein. We did not found the termination of the suprarenal and gonadal veins closer to kidney or the left gonadal vein end on the anterior face of the aorta.