Testicular vein

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Vein: Testicular vein
Spermatic veins.
Latin vena testicularis dextra, vena testicularis sinistra, venae spermaticae
Gray's subject #173 678
Artery testicular artery
Dorlands/Elsevier v_04/12848708

The testicular vein (or spermatic vein), the male gonadal vein, carries deoxygenated blood from its corresponding testis to the inferior vena cava or one of its tributaries. It is the male equivalent of the ovarian vein, and is the venous counterpart of the testicular artery.

It a paired vein, with one supplying each testis

  • The right testicular vein generally joins the inferior vena cava.
  • The left testicular vein, unlike the right, often joins the left renal vein instead of the inferior vena cava.

The veins emerge from the back of the testis, and receive tributaries from the epididymis; they unite and form a convoluted plexus, called the pampiniform plexus, which constitutes the greater mass of the spermatic cord; the vessels composing this plexus are very numerous, and ascend along the cord, in front of the ductus deferens.

Below the subcutaneous inguinal ring they unite to form three or four veins, which pass along the inguinal canal, and, entering the abdomen through the abdominal inguinal ring, coalesce to form two veins, which ascend on the Psoas major, behind the peritoneum, lying one on either side of the internal spermatic artery.

These unite to form a single vein, which opens on the right side into the inferior vena cava, at an acute angle; on the left side into the left renal vein, at a right angle.

The spermatic veins are provided with valves.

The left spermatic vein passes behind the iliac colon, and is thus exposed to pressure from the contents of that part of the bowel.

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This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained herein may be outdated. Please edit the article if this is the case, and feel free to remove this notice when it is no longer relevant.


Veins edit

superficial - deep - venae comitantes - venous sinuses - pulmonary | (Gray's s164-Gray's s165)

heart: coronary sinus - great cardiac - left marginal - small cardiac - right marginal - middle cardiac - posterior of the left ventricle - oblique of the left atrium - anterior cardiac | (Gray's s166)

exterior of the head and face: frontal - supraorbital - angular - anterior facial - common facial - deep facial - superficial temporal - posterior facial - transverse facial - pterygoid - internal maxillary - posterior auricular - occipital | (Gray's s167)

veins of the neck: external jugular - sinus - posterior external jugular - anterior jugular - internal jugular - inferior petrosal sinus - lingual - ranine - pharyngeal - superior thyroid - middle thyroid - vertebral - deep cervical | (Gray's s168)

diploic/veins of the brain: cerebral - superior cerebral - middle cerebral - inferior cerebral - basal - internal cerebral - great cerebral - cerebellar | (Gray's s169-Gray's s170)

sinuses of the dura mater: superior sagittal - inferior sagittal - straight - transverse - sigmoid - petrosquamous - occipital - confluence - cavernous | (Gray's s171)

ophthalmic: superior ophthalmic - nasofrontal - inferior ophthalmic - intercavernous sinuses - superior petrosal sinus - basilar - emissary | (Gray's s171)

upper extremity: superficial (cephalic - median cubital - accessory cephalic - basilic - median antebrachial) - deep (radial - ulnar - brachial - axillary) | (Gray's s172)

thorax: subclavian - brachiocephalic - internal thoracic - superior phrenic - inferior thyroid - intercostal (supreme - superior - posterior) - superior vena cava - azygos - hemiazygos - accessory hemiazygos - bronchial | (Gray's s172)

vertebral column: external vertebral venous plexuses - internal vertebral venous plexuses - basivertebral - intervertebral - of the medulla spinalis | (Gray's s172)

lower extremity: common digital - great saphenous - thoracoepigastric - small saphenous - plantar digital - posterior tibial - peroneal - anterior tibial - popliteal - femoral - profunda femoris | (Gray's s173)

abdomen and pelvis: external iliac - inferior epigastric - internal iliac - superior gluteal - inferior gluteal - internal pudendal - hemorrhoidal - pudendal - dorsal of the penis - common iliac - inferior vena cava - spermatic - ovarian - renal - suprarenal - inferior phrenic - hepatic | (Gray's s173)

portal system: portal - splenic - short gastric - left gastroepiploic - pancreatic - inferior mesenteric - superior rectal - superior mesenteric - right gastroepiploic - pancreaticoduodenal | (Gray's s174)

fetal: ductus venosus - umbilical | (Gray's s139)