Accessory renal artery associated with congenital kidney anomalies

Objectives: Common variations in the arterial supply of the kidney reflect the manner in which its vascularization changes during embryonic and early fetal life. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of the accessory renal artery in association with congenital kidney anomalies. Methods: The study was conducted on 37 dissected cadavers and 25 patients aged between 25–62 years who underwent renal CT angiography. Results: Accessory renal artery associated with congenital kidney anomalies was observed in two cadavers: one had polycystic kidney disease with accessory renal artery in the right kidney, the second had malrotated kidney with accessory renal artery on the left kidney. Three cases in CT angiograms showed accessory renal artery with horseshoe kidney with three accessory renal arteries, pelvic kidney with accessory renal artery on the right side, and the third case had hypoplastic kidney with accessory renal artery on the right side. Conclusion: Accessory renal artery can be due to the abnormal development of kidneys and variations in the positional anatomy of the kidney. This study supplements the presence of variations in renal arteries and its association with congenital kidney anomalies that are of clinical significance during diagnostic investigations and for avoiding complications during surgical approaches to the kidney.