Bilateral supernumerary renal arteries in a single cadaver

Renal arteries are a pair of lateral branches from abdominal aorta. Normally each kidney receives one renal artery. However, accessory renal arteries can also exist. The normal renal arteries enter the kidney through its hilum whereas the accessory renal arteries might enter the kidney through the hilum or through the surfaces of the kidney. While doing the routine dissection for the undergraduate students, in the dept. of Anatomy of NRS, Medical College of Kolkata, India bilateral supernumerary renal arteries were found in a 65-year-old male cadaver. It is important to be aware that accessory renal arteries are end arteries; therefore, if an accessory artery is ligated or damaged, the part of kidney supplied by it is likely to become ischemic. A sound knowledge of variations of blood vessels is important during operative, diagnostic and endovascular procedures in the abdomen.