Abstract: Objective　To investigate the imaging characteristics of renal artery in middle-old aged people from southwest Zhejiang province, and provide the imaging data for renal artery interventional surgery. Methods　Research object was collected from 45-75 years old resident population in 10 urban communities in Lishui City. CTA examination of renal artery was performed. FORCE enhanced abdominal CT was used to observe the origin, structure, location and variation of renal artery. The data collected from the questionnaire were statistically analyzed by t-test and χ 2 test according to gender and side.　Results　A total of 3090 subjects were included, including 1447 males and 1643 females. There were significant differences between males and females in smoking, drinking, height, waist circumference, diastolic pressure, pulse pressure, taking high blood pressure drugs and taking diabetes drugs (P＝0.00). There was no statistical difference in the length and the diameter of bilateral renal arteries between males and females. The length and average diameter of renal artery were (37.43±13.73) mm, (6.37±6.6) mm on the left side and (24.52±25.5) mm, (4.4±2.67) mm on the right side. The angle between renal artery and abdominal aorta was more than 45 ° [male (72.3% in left side, 70.9% in right side), female (74.8% in left side, 71.8% in right side)]. The opening position of the renal artery was concentrated in the left side (67.8%, 30.1%) of the second lumbar vertebrae (L2) and the first lumbar vertebrae (L1); the right side (75.9%, 20.4%), and the right side was higher than the left side (56.7%, 56.6%). The renal artery mainly entered the kidney through the hilum (male accounting for 48.5%, female 47.6%). The renal vascular deformation was mainly oblique on the left side and flat on the right side, with statistical difference between the two sides (P = 0.00). The incidence rate of renal artery variation was 24.5% (95% CI 22.3%~26.8%) in male and 22.3% (95% CI 20.3%~24.4%) in female. The detection rate of accessory renal artery was 15.4% (95% CI 13.5%~17.3%) in male, 11.1% (95% CI 9.7%~12.7%) in female, and the total physical examination rate was 26.4%. The incidence rate of unilateral accessory renal artery was 15.0% and bilateral accessory renal artery was 3.9%.    Conclusions    Dual source computer tomography (DSCT) can directly and accurately display the structure and variation of renal artery, and there is a great difference between male and female in the variation of renal artery. Preoperative renal CTA examination  can reveal clearly the structure and variation of renal artery, which is conducive to the smooth development of renal artery intervention.

Key words: Renal artery, 　Dual source CT, 　Anatomical structure, 　Variation of renal artery