| Superficial dorsal vein of the penis | |
|---|---|
 The penis in transverse section, showing the blood vessels | |
| Details | |
| Drains from | Penis |
| Drains to | External pudendal vein |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | venae dorsales superficiales penis |
| TA98 | A12.3.11.008M |
| TA2 | 5063 |
| FMA | 75398 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
In human maleanatomy, thedorsal veins of the penis areblood vessels that drain theshaft (corpora cavernosa,corpus spongiosum), the skin and theglans of thehuman penis. They are typically located in the midline on the dorsal aspect of the penis and they comprise thesuperficial dorsal veinof the penis, that lies in the subcutaneous tissue of the shaft, and thedeep dorsal veinof the penis, that lies beneath thedeep fascia.[1]
| Deep dorsal vein of the penis | |
|---|---|
 Thepenis in transverse section, showing the blood vessels | |
| Details | |
| Drains from | Penis |
| Drains to | Prostatic venous plexus |
| Artery | Dorsal artery of the penis |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | vena dorsalis profunda penis |
| TA98 | A12.3.11.008M |
| TA2 | 5063 |
| FMA | 75398 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
| Cavernosal veins of the penis | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Drains from | Penis |
| Drains to | Prostatic venous plexus |
| Artery | Dorsal artery of the penis |
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A12.3.11.008M |
| TA2 | 5063 |
| FMA | 75398 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
| Para-arterial veins of the penis | |
|---|---|
| Details | |
| Drains from | Penis |
| Drains to | Prostatic venous plexus |
| Artery | Dorsal artery of the penis |
| Identifiers | |
| TA98 | A12.3.11.008M |
| TA2 | 5063 |
| FMA | 75398 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
Thesuperficial dorsal vein of the penis belongs to the superficial drainage system. It is located within the superficialdartos fascia, a continuation of theColles' fascia, on the dorsal surface of the penis and, in contrast to the deep dorsal vein, it lies outside the deeperBuck's fascia.[2] It is formed by smaller superficial veins that merge on the dorsolateral aspect of the penis. It drains theprepuce and the skin of the shaft, and, running backward in thesubcutaneous tissue, inclines to the right or left, and opens into the correspondingsuperficial external pudendal vein, a tributary of thegreat saphenous vein.[1][3]
Thedeep dorsal vein of the penis belongs to the intermediate drainage system of the penis, along with the circumflex veins and their emissary veins.[1] It runs directly beneath the superficial dorsal vein, with a layer of connective tissue, thedeep fascia of the penis, separating the two vessels. It receives oxygen-depleted blood from the glans and corpora cavernosa and courses backward in the middle line accompanied by thedorsal arteries on each side.[citation needed]
Near theroot of the penis, it passes between the two parts of thesuspensory ligament and then through an aperture between thearcuate pubic ligament and thetransverse ligament of the pelvis, and divides into two branches, which enter thevesical andprostatic plexuses. From the prostatic plexus, the deoxygenated blood travels through the venal system until it arrives at the center of thecirculatory system for resupply with oxygen in the lungs and recirculation through the left side of the heart.[citation needed]
The deep vein also communicates below thepubic symphysis with theinternal pudendal vein.
It is possible but rare for the superficial dorsal vein to rupture during intercourse, which presents in a manner similar topenile fracture.[4]
The dorsal veins of the penis can be used forintravenous injections inrats.[5]
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain frompage 676 of the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
