Renal arcuate veins: new microangiographic observations

Standard references state that arcuate veins at the corticomedullary junction form continuous arcades. Because some preliminary anatomic observations seemed to disagree with this traditional teaching, the arcuate veins were systematically studied in normal human kidneys. Microangiographic studies indicate that, unlike the occasional anastomoses that exist between proximal interlobar and segmental veins, arcuate venous communications in humans are extremely rare. Arcuate veins, like the corresponding arteries, should be considered "end vessels."