Renal vein

Vein: Renal vein
The anterior surfaces of the kidneys, showing the areas of contact of neighboring viscera.
1. Renal pyramid 2. Efferent artery 3. Renal artery 4. Renal vein 5. Renal hilum 6. Renal pelvis 7. Ureter 8. Minor calyx 9. Renal capsule 10. Inferior renal capsule 11. Superior renal capsule 12. Afferent vein 13. Nephron 14. Minor calyx 15. Major calyx 16. Renal papilla 17. Renal column
Latin	venae renales
Gray's	subject #173 679
Drains from	kidney
Source	interlobar veins
Drains to	inferior vena cava
Artery	Renal artery
MeSH	Renal+Veins

The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.

It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins".^[1]

It also divides into 2 divisions upon entering the kidney.

1. The anterior branch which receives blood from the anterior portion of the kidney and,
2. the posterior branch which receives blood from the posterior portion.

Often, each renal vein will have a branch that receives blood from the ureter.

Asymmetry

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

Because the inferior vena cava is not laterally symmetrical, the left renal vein often receives the following veins:^[2]

• left inferior phrenic vein
• left suprarenal vein
• left gonadal vein (left testicular vein in males, left ovarian vein in females)
• left 2nd lumbar vein

This is in contrast to the right side of the body, where these veins drain directly into the IVC.

Pathology

Diseases associated with the renal vein include renal vein thrombosis (RVT) and nutcracker syndrome (renal vein entrapment syndrome).

References

Additional images

Frontal section through the kidney

Diagram showing completion of development of the parietal veins.

The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries.

Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed.

Kidney

See also

• renal physiology

References

External links

• SUNY Figs 40:06-05 - "Retroperitoneal structures on the posterior abdominal wall."

Veins of the torso
Coronary	coronary sinus (great cardiac, left marginal, small cardiac, middle cardiac, posterior of the left ventricle, oblique of the left atrium) • anterior cardiac (right marginal) • pulmonary
Thorax/ SVC	brachiocephalic: inferior thyroid - thymic - internal thoracic (anterior intercostal, superior epigastric) - left superior intercostal - supreme - vertebral - internal jugular - subclavian (axillary: lateral thoracic, thoracoepigastric) - pericardiacophrenic azygos: right superior intercostal - bronchial - intercostal/posterior intercostal 5-11 - accessory hemiazygos/hemiazygos - superior phrenic
Vertebral column	vertebral venous plexuses (external, internal) • spinal (posterior, anterior) • basivertebral • intervertebral
Abdomen/ IVC	to IVC (some to renal vein on left): inferior phrenic - hepatic - suprarenal - renal - gonadal (ovarian ♀/testicular ♂, pampiniform plexus ♂) - lumbar - common iliac to azygos system: ascending lumbar (subcostal)
Pelvis/common iliac	median sacral vein external iliac: inferior epigastric - deep circumflex iliac vein internal iliac - posterior: iliolumbar - superior gluteal - lateral sacral internal iliac - anterior: inferior gluteal - obturator - uterine ♀ (uterine plexus ♀) - vesical (vesical plexus, prostatic plexus ♂, deep of penis ♂/clitoris ♀, posterior scrotal ♂/labial ♀) - vaginal plexus/vein ♀ - middle rectal - internal pudendal (inferior rectal, bulb of penis ♂/vestibule ♀) - rectal plexus
Portal system/ portal vein	splenic: short gastric - left gastroepiploic - pancreatic - inferior mesenteric (superior rectal, left colic) superior mesenteric: right gastroepiploic - pancreaticoduodenal - jejunal - ileal - middle colic - right colic - ileocolic (appendicular) direct (cystic, left gastric/esophageal, right gastric, paraumbilical)
fetal	ductus venosus • umbilical

[hide] Urinary system - Kidney
Layers	Renal fascia • Renal capsule • Renal cortex  (Renal column) • Renal medulla (Renal sinus, Renal pyramids, medullary interstitium) • Renal lobe • Cortical lobule • Medullary ray • Nephron
Afferent circulation	Renal artery → Segmental arteries → Interlobar arteries → Arcuate arteries → Cortical radial arteries → Afferent arterioles → Renal corpuscle (Glomerulus, Bowman's capsule)
Renal tubule	Proximal tubule → Loop of Henle (Descending, Thin ascending, Thick ascending) → Distal convoluted tubule → Connecting tubule → Collecting ducts → Duct of Bellini → Renal papilla → Minor calyx → Major calyx → Renal pelvis → Ureter
Efferent circulation	Glomerulus → Efferent arterioles → Peritubular capillaries/Vasa recta → Arcuate vein → Interlobar veins → Renal vein
Juxtaglomerular apparatus	Macula densa • Juxtaglomerular cells • Extraglomerular mesangial cell
Filtration	Glomerular basement membrane • Podocyte • Filtration slits • Intraglomerular mesangial cell • Tubular fluid
Renal physiology	Acid base physiology • Fluid balance