Corpus: Suprarenal vein
1. Definition
The suprarenal vein is a short blood vessel responsible for draining venous blood from the adrenal gland.
2. Anatomy
There is a distinction between the left and right suprarenal veins:
- Left suprarenal vein: This vein drains into the left renal vein. Beforehand, it often receives blood from the inferior phrenic vein. In some cases, it may instead drain into the inferior phrenic vein if that vessel is larger.
- Right suprarenal vein: The right suprarenal vein drains directly into the inferior vena cava at around the level of the 12th rib.
3. Anastomoses
Occasionally, the suprarenal vein forms anastomoses with the inferior phrenic vein, creating additional venous connections.