High origin of the right testicular artery coursing through a hiatus in the inferior vena cava

Abstract

During routine dissection we observed a high origin of the right testicular artery from the abdominal aorta in a middle-aged formalin-fixed male cadaver of indigenous Kenyan descent. The artery arched above the right renal vein to course through a hiatus in the inferior vena cava at its confluence with the right renal vein. In this case, the renal artery gave long tortuous segmental branches, one of which did not pass through the hilum but pursued a course towards the superior pole of the kidney. The high origin and arching of the testicular artery has previously been reported. However, its association with the course of the testicular artery through a hiatus in the inferior vena cava together with the long tortuous course of the renal artery and a polar segmental artery is, to the best of our knowledge, a unique finding that should be noted. The possible embryologic basis for this variation as well as its clinical significance is discussed