Absent Right Renal Vein: A Case Report

Absent right renal vein is very uncommon. This study aimed to describe a case of the absent right renal vein with drainage from the upper pole of the kidney into the right suprarenal vein and then into the ipsilateral gonadal vein.

A 25-year-old female patient with abdominal pain was referred to the radiology clinic for abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) with oral and intravenous contrast. On CT images, the right renal vein was absent. The drainage of the right kidney was through the upper pole to the suprarenal vein and thereafter to the right gonadal vein and the inferior vena cava (IVC). Some suprarenal veins were drained to the superior mesenteric vein via collaterals. The IVC diameter, especially the intrahepatic portion, was decreased.

The absence of the right renal vein is very rare, and to the best of our knowledge, drainage from the upper pole into the ipsilateral gonadal vein has not been previously reported in the literature.