Confluence of the right adrenal vein with the accessory right hepatic veins. A potential hazard in laparoscopic right adrenalectomy.

Confluent drainage of the right adrenal vein and large accessory right hepatic veins was encountered during a laparoscopic right adrenalectomy. In a review of previous reports of laparoscopic adrenalectomies we found no mention of this finding. However, an anatomic study reported that the right adrenal vein joins with an accessory right hepatic vein in as many as 22% of individuals. A complete understanding of the anatomic variations in the drainage of the right adrenal vein is required for the safe performance of laparoscopic right adrenalectomy.