Abdomen: testicular venous drainage: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Abdomen: testicular venous drainage

Sample item

A 22-year-old man has a left scrotal swelling that feels like a 'bag of worms' and enlarges on standing. A 60-year-old man develops a new right-sided swelling of the same kind with flank pain. Which explanation is correct?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. The left testicular vein enters the left renal vein at a right angle, favouring left varicocele; a sudden right varicocele suggests obstruction of the inferior vena cava or a retroperitoneal mass

The left testicular vein drains into the left renal vein at roughly a right angle and is longer, so pressure is higher; left varicocele is common. The right testicular vein drains directly into the inferior vena cava. A new right varicocele, especially in an older man, should prompt a search for a retroperitoneal or renal tumour compressing the vein or cava.

Option by option

  • A. The right testicular vein drains into the right renal vein, so a right varicocele is the commoner side

    The right vein enters the inferior vena cava, not the right renal vein, and right varicocele is rare.

  • B. Both testicular veins drain into the inferior vena cava, so side makes no difference

    Only the right testicular vein drains directly into the cava; the left drains into the left renal vein.

  • C. The left testicular vein drains into the inferior mesenteric vein, which causes left-sided congestion

    The left testicular vein drains into the left renal vein, not the inferior mesenteric vein.

  • D. The left testicular vein enters the left renal vein at a right angle, favouring left varicocele; a sudden right varicocele suggests obstruction of the inferior vena cava or a retroperitoneal mass (correct)

    Correct. Left varicocele is the usual side; a new right-sided one needs imaging for a retroperitoneal cause.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is D, The left testicular vein enters the left renal vein at a right angle, favouring left varicocele; a sudden right varicocele suggests obstruction of the inferior vena cava or a retroperitoneal mass. The left testicular vein drains into the left renal vein at roughly a right angle and is longer, so pressure is higher; left varicocele is common.

Why is "The right testicular vein drains into the right renal vein, so a righ…" not the answer?

The right vein enters the inferior vena cava, not the right renal vein, and right varicocele is rare.

Why is "Both testicular veins drain into the inferior vena cava, so side make…" not the answer?

Only the right testicular vein drains directly into the cava; the left drains into the left renal vein.

Why is "The left testicular vein drains into the inferior mesenteric vein, wh…" not the answer?

The left testicular vein drains into the left renal vein, not the inferior mesenteric vein.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Abdomen: testicular venous drainage in Anatomy. The right testicular vein drains directly into the inferior vena cava. A new right varicocele, especially in an older man, should prompt a search for a retroperitoneal or renal tumour compressing the vein or cava.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Abdomen: testicular venous drainage?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.