title: Applied anatomic study of testicular veins in adult cadavers and in human fetuses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analyze the anatomic variations of the testicular veins in human cadavers and fetuses.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred male adult cadavers and 24 fetuses were studied. Four anatomic aspects were considered: 1) Number of testicular veins, 2) The local of vein termination, 3) Type and number of collaterals present and 4) Testicular vein termination angle.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cadavers - Right side - One testicular vein occurred in 85% and 2 veins in 5% of the cases. There were communicating veins with the colon in 21% of the cases. Left side - One testicular vein occurred in 82%, two veins in 15%, three veins in 2% and four veins in 1% of the cases. There were communicating veins with the colon in 31% of the cases. Fetuses - Right side - One testicular vein occurred in all cases. This vein drained to the vena cava in 83.3% of the cases, to the junction of the vena cava with the renal vein in 12.5% and to the renal vein in 4.2%. There were communicating veins with the colon in 25% of the cases. Left side - One testicular vein occurred in 66.6% of the cases, and 2 veins in occurred 33.3%. Communicating veins with the colon were found in 41.6% of the cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The testicular vein presents numeric variations and also variations in its local of termination. In approximately 30% of the cases, there are collaterals that communicate the testicular vein with retroperitoneal veins. These anatomic findings can help understanding the origin of varicocele and its recurrence after surgical interventions.
authors.affiliation: Urogenital Research Unit, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. lufavorito@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luciano A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Favorito
authors.forename: Waldemar S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Francisco J B
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Sampaio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002102:Cadaver; D005333:Fetus / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply*; D014646:Varicocele; D014680:Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology