The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.
It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins".[1]
Because the inferior vena cava is on the right half of the body, the left renal vein is generally the longer of the two.
Because the inferior vena cava is not laterally symmetrical, the left renal vein often receives the following veins:
This is in contrast to the right side of the body, where these veins drain directly into the IVC.
Diseases associated with the renal vein include renal vein thrombosis (RVT) and nutcracker syndrome (renal vein entrapment syndrome).
Frontal section through the kidney
Diagram showing completion of development of the parietal veins.
The venæ cavæ and azygos veins, with their tributaries.
Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed.
superficial - deep - venae comitantes - venous sinuses - pulmonary | (Gray's s164-Gray's s165)
heart: coronary sinus - great cardiac - left marginal - small cardiac - right marginal - middle cardiac - posterior of the left ventricle - oblique of the left atrium - anterior cardiac | (Gray's s166)
exterior of the head and face: frontal - supraorbital - angular - anterior facial - common facial - deep facial - superficial temporal - posterior facial - transverse facial - pterygoid - internal maxillary - posterior auricular - occipital | (Gray's s167)
veins of the neck: external jugular - sinus - posterior external jugular - anterior jugular - internal jugular - inferior petrosal sinus - lingual - ranine - pharyngeal - superior thyroid - middle thyroid - vertebral - deep cervical | (Gray's s168)
diploic/veins of the brain: cerebral - superior cerebral - middle cerebral - inferior cerebral - basal - internal cerebral - great cerebral - cerebellar | (Gray's s169-Gray's s170)
sinuses of the dura mater: superior sagittal - inferior sagittal - straight - transverse - sigmoid - petrosquamous - occipital - confluence - cavernous | (Gray's s171)
ophthalmic: superior ophthalmic - nasofrontal - inferior ophthalmic - intercavernous sinuses - superior petrosal sinus - basilar - emissary | (Gray's s171)
upper extremity: superficial (cephalic - median cubital - accessory cephalic - basilic - median antebrachial) - deep (radial - ulnar - brachial - axillary) | (Gray's s172)
thorax: subclavian - brachiocephalic - internal thoracic - superior phrenic - inferior thyroid - intercostal (supreme - superior - posterior) - superior vena cava - azygos - hemiazygos - accessory hemiazygos - bronchial | (Gray's s172)
vertebral column: external vertebral venous plexuses - internal vertebral venous plexuses - basivertebral - intervertebral - of the medulla spinalis | (Gray's s172)
lower extremity: common digital - great saphenous - thoracoepigastric - small saphenous - plantar digital - posterior tibial - peroneal - anterior tibial - popliteal - femoral - profunda femoris | (Gray's s173)
abdomen and pelvis: external iliac - inferior epigastric - internal iliac - superior gluteal - inferior gluteal - internal pudendal - hemorrhoidal - pudendal - dorsal of the penis - common iliac - inferior vena cava - spermatic - ovarian - renal - suprarenal - inferior phrenic - hepatic | (Gray's s173)
portal system: portal - splenic - short gastric - left gastroepiploic - pancreatic - inferior mesenteric - superior rectal - superior mesenteric - right gastroepiploic - pancreaticoduodenal | (Gray's s174)
fetal: ductus venosus - umbilical | (Gray's s139)
kidney tubule: Proximal tubule → Loop of Henle (Descending, Thin ascending, Thick ascending) → Distal convoluted tubule → Connecting tubule → Collecting ducts → Duct of Bellini → Renal papilla → Minor calyx → Major calyx → Renal pelvis → Ureter
efferent circulation: Glomerulus → Efferent arterioles → Peritubular capillaries/Vasa recta → Arcuate vein→ Interlobar veins→ Renal vein
juxtaglomerular apparatus: Macula densa, Juxtaglomerular cells, Extraglomerular mesangial cells
Hormones affecting filtration - Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) | Aldosterone | Atrial natriuretic peptide
Endocrine - Renin | Erythropoietin (EPO) | Calcitriol (Active vitamin D) | Prostaglandins