Renal vein

The renal veins in the renal circulation, are large-calibre^[1] veins that drain blood filtered by the kidneys into the inferior vena cava. There is one renal vein draining each kidney.^{[citation needed]} Each renal vein is formed by the convergence of the interlobar veins of one kidney.^[2]

Because the inferior vena cava is on the right half of the body, the left renal vein is longer than the right one.

Structure

One renal vein drains each kidney.^{[citation needed]} A renal vein is situated anterior to its corresponding accompanying renal artery. The renal veins empty into the inferior vena cava, entering it at nearly a 90° angle.^[1]

Due to the right-ward displacement of the inferior vena cava from the midline, the left renal vein is some 3 times longer than the right one (~7.5 cm and ~2.5 cm, respectively).^[1]

The renal vein divides into 4 divisions upon entering the kidney:^{[contradictory][citation needed]}

• the anterior branch which receives blood from the anterior portion of the kidney and,
• the posterior branch which receives blood from the posterior portion.

Tributaries

Because the tributaries of the

The right renal vein is situated posterior to the descending part of the duodenum.^[1]

Variation

There is typically a single renal vein drainin each kidney, but accessory renal veins are commonly encountered; renal vasculature anomalies are more frequent with ectopic kidneys, and almost always present with horseshoe kidney).^[4]

In some individuals, the left renal vein passes posterior to the abdominal aorta instead of in anterior to it;^[1] this is termed a retro-aortic left renal vein (also known as "The Vein of Schnitker"). If there is both a vein passing in front of and one behind the aorta this is called a circumaortic renal vein. In the case of a left sided IVC and the right renal vein passes behind the abdominal aorta, this is termed a retroaortic right renal vein, which is also known as “The Reverse Vein of Schnitker”.^{[citation needed]}

Clinical significance

Diseases associated with the renal vein include renal vein thrombosis (RVT) and nutcracker syndrome (renal vein entrapment syndrome).^{[citation needed]}

Additional images

• 
  3D-rendered

  computed tomography

  , showing one renal vein (in red color) for each kidney
• 
  Frontal section through the kidney
• 
  Diagram showing completion of development of the parietal veins.
• 
  The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries.
• 
  Renal vein
• 
  Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed.
• 
  Kidney
• 
  Renal vein
• 
  Renal vein
• 
  Renal vein

See also

• Renal physiology
• Nutcracker syndrome
• Renal artery

References