Renal Vascular Variants in Living Related Renal Donors:
Evaluation with CT Angiography
Piyaporn Apisarnthanarak MD*,
Voraparee Suvannarerg MD*, Kobkun Muangsomboon MD*,
Tawatchai Taweemonkongsap MD**, Narumol S Hargrove MD*
Affiliation :
* Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
** Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Background : Renal vascular variants may complicate the surgical techniques of living related renal transplantation. Renal
computed tomographic (CT) angiography is now well accepted for preoperative renal vascular mapping in living related
renal donors.
Objective : To study the prevalence of renal vascular variants in living related renal donors using CT angiography.
Material and Method: Preoperative renal CT angiography of 65 consecutive living related renal donors were retrospectively
reviewed by two abdominal radiologists on a 3-D workstation. The number and branching patterns of bilateral renal arteries
and veins, as well as the presence of renal arterial and venous variants were described.
Results : Supernumerary renal arteries and early branching were present in 18.5% and 12.8% respectively on the right
kidneys and 27.7% and 22.4% respectively on the left kidneys. The prevalence of precaval right renal artery was 4.6%.
Supernumerary renal veins were present in 35.4% and 1.5% on the right and left kidneys, respectively. Late confl uences of
left renal veins were identifi ed in 1.5% of left kidneys. Other venous anomalies included 1.5% duplicated inferior vena cava
(IVC), 1.5% circumaortic left renal vein, 1.5% retroaortic left renal vein, 1.5% outsized left gonadal veins drained into the
left renal vein, and 6.2% right gonadal vein drained into the right renal vein.
Conclusion : Renal vascular anatomical variants were common. The surgeons and the radiologists should be aware of these
variants to prevent postoperative complications.
Keywords : Renal vascular variants, CT angiography, Living related renal transplantation
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