Objective: To investigate anatomical variations in the renal arteries of patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using computed tomography angiography (CTA).
Methods: Patients diagnosed with RCC were evaluated using CTA prior to undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy. Any anatomical variations of the renal arteries on the side affected by the RCC were recorded. The CTA results were compared with the observations made during surgery and those produced by conventional digital subtraction angiography.
Results: A total of 107 patients with RCC were enrolled in the study. Multiple renal arteries were found in 11 patients (10.3%). Accessory renal inferior polar arteries were the most common type of multiple renal arteries. Multiple renal arteries acting as the feeding arteries to the RCC were found in five patients (4.7%).
Conclusion: CTA can be used as part of the preoperative evaluation prior to laparoscopic nephrectomy to provide anatomical information about the presence of multiple renal arteries in the affected kidney of patients with RCC. This could help with planning the surgery and reducing surgical complications.
Keywords: Renal cell carcinoma; computed tomography angiography; laparoscopic nephrectomy; multidetector computed tomography; multiple renal arteries.