- Abstract -

The anatomy of the renal arterial variations is highly relevant for an adequate surgical performance. As renal arteries can enter the hilum or a renal pole, we consider these either hilar or polar, respectively. The later can present anatomical variations that we aimed to detail and classify by the present study, mainly designed as a qualitative one. We dissected the renal arteries on 56 human adult kidneys and we found in 12.5% superior polar arteries and in 8.9% inferior polar arteries. These were classified either as aortic or as renal, according to their origin from the abdominal aorta and the renal artery. A single specimen presented an inferior polar artery originating the gonadal artery, on the left side. According to our results we consider that polar arteries may be classified either as solitary or pedicular: accompanied by a polar vein and a ganglionated nerve plexus. Also, a polar artery may be of type I (false supernumerary) if it replaces a segmental artery or of type II (true supernumerary) if the respective segmental artery emerges the renal artery.
 

Key words: kidney; renal artery; gonadal artery; renal segments.