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Anatomy and anatomical variations of adrenal veins and its application to adrenal venous sampling

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Abstract

Purpose

Our aim was to study the anatomy of the left and right main adrenal veins (LAV and RAV) and to identify their anatomical variations in order to see the practical application of these findings to adrenal venous sampling (AVS).

Methods

Our work is based on dissection of 80 adrenal glands from fresh corpses in the forensic medicine department. We studied the number, the drainage, the direction and the level of termination of the main adrenal veins.

Results

The average length of the LAV was 21 mm. It ended in 100% of cases at the upper edge of the left renal vein with a mean connection angle of 70° and after an anastomosis with the lower phrenic vein in 36 cases(90%). The average length of the RAV was 9 mm. It ended in 100% of cases at the level of the retro hepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) mainly on its posterior face in 21 cases (53%) and on its right lateral border in 18 cases (45%). The mean angle of the RAV in relation to the vertical axis of the IVC was 40°, with extremes ranging from 15° to 90°.

Conclusions

AVS seems to be easier on the left than on the right side because of the greater length of the adrenal vein (21 mm vs. 9 mm) and a greater angle of connection (70° with the left renal vein vs. 40° with the IVC), which explains the lower success rate of cannulation and the more frequent occurrence of blood sample contamination on the right side.

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Data availability

Data is available on demand.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to those who have donated their bodies to science so that anatomical research can be carried out. The results of such research have the potential to increase human knowledge, which in turn can improve patient care. Therefore, these donors and their families deserve our highest gratitude.

Funding

No funding was received.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Department of Urology, Tunis, Tunisia

    Ahmed Saadi, Mohamed Ali Bedoui, Seif Mokadem, Selim Zaghbib, Hamza Boussaffa, Haroun Ayed, Abderrazek Bouzouita, Amine Derouiche, Marouene Chakroun & Riadh Ben Slama

  2. University of Tunis El Manar, Faculty of Medecine of Tunis, Charles Nicolle Hospital, Department of Legal and forensic medicine , Tunis, Tunisia

    Mohamed Bellali & Mohamed Allouche

Authors
  1. Ahmed Saadi
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  2. Mohamed Ali Bedoui
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Contributions

A. Saadi: Protocol development; Data collection or management; Data analysis; Manuscript writing MA. Bedoui : Data collection or management; Data analysis; Manuscript writing S. Mokadem : Manuscript editing S. Zaghbib : Manuscript editing H. Boussaffa : Manuscript editing M. Bellali : Manuscript editing H. Ayed: Manuscript editing A. Bouzouita: Manuscript editing A. Derouiche: Manuscript editing M. Allouche: Manuscript editing M. Chakroun : Manuscript editing R. Ben Slama : Manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mohamed Ali Bedoui.

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Ethical approval

The approval of the current study has been granted by the medical committee of research ethics of Charles Nicolle Hospital. A copy of the approval is available for review by the Editor-in-Chief of this journal on request. Reference number is not available.

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Saadi, A., Bedoui, M., Mokadem, S. et al. Anatomy and anatomical variations of adrenal veins and its application to adrenal venous sampling. Surg Radiol Anat 46, 543–550 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00276-024-03331-y

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