| Inferior hypogastric plexus | |
|---|---|
 The right sympathetic chain and its connections with the thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic plexuses. (Pelvic plexus labeled at bottom right.) | |
 Lower half of right sympathetic cord. (Hypogastric plexus labeled at bottom left.) | |
| Details | |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | plexus hypogastricus inferior |
| TA98 | A14.3.03.048 |
| TA2 | 6715 |
| FMA | 6643 |
| Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy | |
Theinferior hypogastric plexus (orpelvic plexus[1]) is a pairedautonomicnerve plexus innervating organs of thepelvic cavity.[2] It gives rise to the prostatic plexus in males and the uterovaginal plexus in females.
The plexus consists of an irregular, fenestrated layer containing small ganglia.[2]
The inferior hypogastric plexus is situated in thesagittal plane just outside theperitoneum, between theanterior sacral foramina (posteriorly), and the posterior aspect of theurinary bladder (anteriorly). It is situated lateral to the rectum and vagina, and media lto theinternal iliac artery andinternal iliac vein of either side.[2]
Efferents branches form secondary plexuses that accompany theinternal iliac artery along its course.[2] They give rise to themiddle andinferior rectal plexuses,vesical plexus, deferential plexus, andprostatic plexus (in males) oruterovaginal plexus (in females).[2]
Efferents of the plexus are responsible for innervating the genitalerectile tissues.[2]
Due to its location, injury to this structure can arise as a complication of pelvic surgeries and may cause urinary dysfunction andurinary incontinence.Testing of bladder function is used in that case to show a poorly compliant bladder, with bladder neck incompetence, and fixed external sphincter tone.[4]
This article incorporates text in thepublic domain from the 20th edition ofGray's Anatomy(1918)
Anatomy of theautonomic nervous system | |||||
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| Head |
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| Neck |
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| Thorax |
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| Abdomen |
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| Pelvis |
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