Abstract

Background: Renal hilum is the middle concavity of the medial border of kidney which communicates with renal sinus. The disposition of renal hilar structures has been described in anatomical textbook from anterior to posterior as the renal vein, renal artery and renal pelvis. Variations in arrangement of renal hilar structures were detected incidentally while performing investigative imaging and angiographic procedures. Anatomical knowledge of structures at the renal hilum is of great importance for various urological surgical procedures and also during interpretation of various radiological techniques related to the kidney. Objective: To evaluate the arrangement of renal hilar structures in human cadavers Materials and Methods: Present work was carried out in the Department of Anatomy, Sri Devaraj Urs medical college, Kolar on fifty pairs of morphological normal kidneys of embalmed cadavers. Renal hilum of each kidney was dissected carefully to see the arrangement of renal artery, vein and pelvis and their anteroposterior relations at the hilum were recorded. Results: The arrangement of renal hilar structures exhibited great variations. The patterns of arrangement of the hilar structures were classified into 12 major patterns. In 32 % kidney we observed the classical arrangement of hilar structures described in standard textbooks as renal vein, renal artery and pelvis. In 36% cases anterior trunk of renal artery is the most anteriorly placed structure at the renal hilum. In 21% cases we observed anterior and posterior tributaries of renal vein. The renal pelvis in between the divisions of renal artery and tributaries of renal vein was noted in 43% cases. We noticed the formation of the renal pelvis outside the hilum in 7% cases. Conclusion: Present study will help to provide better knowledge of disposition of renal hilar structures which will be useful for the urological surgeons, radiologists and anatomists.

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