Left testicular artery arching over the ipsilateral renal vein.

AIM To report two cases of the left testicular artery arching over the left renal vein (LRV) before running downward to the testis. METHODS The subjects were obtained from two Japanese cadavers. During the student course of gross-anatomical dissection, the anatomical relationship between the testicular vessels and the renal vein was specifically observed. RESULTS The arching left testicular artery arose from the aorta below the LRV and made a loop around the LRV, which appeared to be mildly compressed between the arching artery and the psoas major muscle. CONCLUSION Clinically, compression of the LRV between the abdominal aorta and the superior mesenteric artery occasionally induces LRV hypertension, resulting in varicocele, orthostatic proteinuria and hematuria. Considering that the incidence of a left arching testicular artery is higher than that of a right one, an arching left artery could be an additional cause of LRV hypertension.