Spiral artery

Uterine arterial vasculature, showing spiral arteries at right.^[1]

Spiral arteries are small arteries which temporarily supply blood to endometrium of the uterus during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.

In histology, identifying the presence of these arteries is one of the most useful techniques in identifying the phase of the cycle.

The spiral arteries are converted for uteroplacental blood flow during pregnancy, involving:

Loss of smooth muscle & elastic lamina from the vessel wall.
5-10 fold dilation at the mouth of the vessel.

Failure of the physiological conversion of the spiral arteries can cause a number of complications, including intrauterine growth restriction and pre-eclampsia.^[2]

References

↑ Robertson, W. B. (1976). "Uteroplacental vasculature". Journal of Clinical Pathology 29: 9. doi:10.1136/jcp.29.Suppl_10.9.
↑ Burton GJ, Woods AW, Jauniaux E, Kingdom JC (June 2009). "Rheological and physiological consequences of conversion of the maternal spiral arteries for uteroplacental blood flow during human pregnancy". Placenta 30 (6): 473–82. doi:10.1016/j.placenta.2009.02.009. PMC 2697319. PMID 19375795.

Arteries of the abdomen and pelvis

Abdominal
aorta

Parietal branches

Celiac artery

Left gastric	Esophageal branches

Common hepatic	Proper hepatic cystic Right gastric Gastroduodenal right gastroepiploic superior pancreaticoduodenal supraduodenal

Splenic	Pancreatic branches greater dorsal Short gastric Left gastroepiploic

Umbilical	Superior vesical to ductus deferens

Obturator	Anterior branch Posterior branch

Middle rectal	Vaginal branch

Uterine	Arcuate Vaginal of uterine Ovarian of uterine Tubal of uterine Spiral

Vaginal Inferior vesical

Inferior gluteal	Accompanying of ischiadic nerve Cruciate anastomosis

Internal pudendal	Inferior rectal Perineal posterior scrotal posterior labial Bulb of penis/vestibule Urethral Deep artery of the penis helicine Deep artery of clitoris Dorsal of the penis Dorsal of the clitoris

Iliolumbar lumbar iliac Lateral sacral Superior gluteal

External iliac

Inferior epigastric
Deep circumflex iliac
Femoral
- see arteries of lower limbs

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