Retro-aortic left renal vein with left suprarenal vein draining into inferior vena cava

During a routine undergraduate dissection of abdomen of a 50-year-old male cadaver, a variant pattern of left renal and suprarenal veins was encountered. The left renal vein coursed behind the aorta to drain into inferior vena cava at the level of lower pole of left kidney. The left suprarenal vein coursed in front of aorta to drain directly into inferior vena cava instead of left renal vein. A knowledge of such patterns is important for renal surgeons operating for renal transplantation, renal trauma and nephrectomy. Further the ontogenic basis and clinical implications of the anomalies are discussed in the detail.