Prostatic venous plexus

Prostatic venous plexus

The veins of the right half of the male pelvis. (Prostatic plexus labeled at bottom right.)
Details
Drains from Prostate
Source
Deep dorsal vein of the penis
Drains to Vesical venous plexus and Pudendal plexus
Identifiers
Latin plexus venosus prostaticus
TA A12.3.10.013M
FMA 29711

Anatomical terminology

The prostatic veins form a well-marked prostatic plexus which lies partly in the fascial sheath of the prostate and partly between the sheath and the prostatic capsule. It communicates with the pudendal and vesical plexuses.

The prostatic venous plexus drains into the internal iliac vein which connects with the vertebral venous plexus, this is thought to be the route of bone metastasis of prostate cancer.[1]

It is sometimes known as "Santorini's plexus," named for the Italian anatomist Giovanni Domenico Santorini.

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

  1. "Male Genitals - Prostate Neoplasms". Pathology study images. University of Virginia School of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2011-04-28. There are many connections between the prostatic venous plexus and the vertebral veins. The veins forming the prostatic plexus do not contain valves and it is thought that straining to urinate causes prostatic venous blood to flow in a reverse direction and enter the vertebral veins carrying malignant cells to the vertebral column.


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