Rare Termination of the Right Gonadic Vein

Variations of the gonadal vein involve especial interest in general, vascular, and renal transplant surgery [1]. The testicular drainage originates at the upper pole of the testis, through the pampiniform plexus, which travels alongside the spermatic cord. The origin of the testicular vein, on both sides, lies at the deep inguinal ring, following a cephalic retroperitoneal path along the Psoas Mayor against posterior abdominal wall [2,3]. The veins drainage patterns are anatomically asymmetric. The left testicular vein drains in the left renal vein, whereas the right testicular vein (RTV) drains directly in the inferior vena cava [3]. This anatomical asymmetry is believed to be in part responsible for hemodynamic differences with clinical implications, mainly considered to be a frequent cause of left varicocele [3]. The testicular veins show variations regarding number, drainage and termination angle. This are associated to an anomaly in embryological development. Variations are found more frequently in the left side, about 30% of cases [4]. From a clinical point of view, variations in drainage pattern of testicular veins are thought to be associated with varicocele and pelvic congestion syndrome which may lead to infertility [5]. In addition, their utility for renal vessel reconstruction has been suggested [5]. For the above mention, precise knowledge of normal and variant anatomy of the testicular veins is crucial for both clinicians and surgeons. We report in this paper a case of an abnormal drainage pattern of the RT.