[Difficulties in the treatment of symptomatic varicocele using percutaneous embolization: the circumaortic renal vein].
OBJECTIVE
The anatomic anomalies of the inferior cava and its collaterals, even though they do not normally show symptoms, can cause difficulties in different diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as the percutaneous treatment by gonadal embolization of the varicocele.


METHODS
We analyzed the incidence of one of these anomalies, specifically the left circumaortic renal vein, in a series of 50 gonadal embolization procedures for symptomatic varicocele.


RESULTS
We found two cases (4%) of left circumaortic renal vein in our series. Gonadal embolization was possible in only one of the cases since the ostium of the gonadal vein could not be localized in the other case. In the first case, the gonadal ostium was in the paraaortic confluence of the venous ring, and could be catheterized and selectively embolized.


CONCLUSIONS
The presence of a circumaortic left renal vein can make it technically impossible to perform embolization of the symptomatic varicocele.
Aguilar Rivilla
Eva
E
Unidad de Radiología Intervencionista del Servicio de Diagnóstico por Imagen, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, España.
de la Peña Zarzuelo
Enrique
E
Gallego Beuter
Juan
J
Mendez Montero
Jose Vicente
JV
Santos Martín
Ernesto
E
Delgado Martín
Jose Angel
JA
Blazquez Izquierdo
Jesús
J
D001012:Aorta, Abdominal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D010690:Phlebography; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014646:Varicocele / Q000628:therapy*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging