Testicular artery

Branch of the abdominal aorta that supplies blood to the testicle

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Testicular artery

The abdominal aorta and its branches (internal spermatic vessels labeled at right)

Vertical section of the testis, to show the arrangement of the ducts (internal spermatic artery labeled vertically at center)

Details
Source| Abdominal aorta
Vein| Testicular vein
Identifiers
Latin| arteria testicularis
TA98| A12.2.12.086M
TA2| 4288
FMA| 14758
Anatomical terminology

[edit on Wikidata]

The testicular artery (the male gonadal artery, also called the internal spermatic arteries in older texts) is a branch of the abdominal aorta that supplies blood to the testicle. It is a paired artery, with one for each of the testicles.

It is the male equivalent of the ovarian artery. Because the testis is found in a different location than that of its female equivalent, it has a different course than the ovarian artery.

They are two slender vessels of considerable length, and arise from the front of the aorta a little below the renal arteries.

Each passes obliquely downward and lateralward behind the peritoneum, resting on the psoas major, the right lying in front of the inferior vena cava and behind the middle colic and ileocolic arteries and the terminal part of the ileum, the left behind the left colic and sigmoid arteries and the iliac colon.

Each crosses obliquely over the ureter and the lower part of the external iliac artery to reach the abdominal inguinal ring, through which it passes, and accompanies the other constituents of the spermatic cord along the inguinal canal to the scrotum, where it becomes tortuous, and divides into several branches.

Two or three of these accompany the ductus deferens, and supply the epididymis, anastomosing with the artery of the ductus deferens; others pierce the back part of the tunica albuginea, and supply the substance of the testicle.

The internal spermatic artery supplies one or two small branches to the ureter, and in the inguinal canal gives one or two twigs to the cremaster.

## Clinical significance

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The testicular artery may be damaged during inguinal hernia repair, possibly resulting in insiduous testicular atrophy - but not necessarily accompanied by testicular necrosis due to collateral arterial supply via the inferior epigastric, prostatic, vesical, and scrotal arteries.[1]

## Additional images

[edit]

* Spermatic vessels

* Testicular artery of a bull (steer).

* The veins of the right half of the male pelvis.

* Spermatic veins.

* The relations of the viscera and large vessels of the abdomen (posterior view).

* Transverse section through the left side of the scrotum and the left testis.

* Testis, spermatic vessels and vas deferens

* Testicular artery and vein

## See also

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* Ovarian vein

## References

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1. ^ Schwartz's Principles of Surgery (11th ed.). 2019. p. 1620.

This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 611 of the 20th edition of Gray's Anatomy (1918)

## External links

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* Anatomy photo:36:07-0303 at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center - "Layers of the Spermatic Cord"
* inguinalregion at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (spermaticcord)

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Arteries of the abdomen and pelvis

Abdominal
aorta|

| Inferior phrenic|

* Superior suprarenal

|

Celiac|

| Left gastric|

* Esophageal branches

|

Common hepatic|

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

Splenic|

* Pancreatic branches
* greater
* dorsal
* Short gastrics
* Left gastroepiploic

Superior mesenteric|

* Inferior pancreaticoduodenal
* Intestinal
* jejunal
* ileal
* arcades
* vasa recta
* Ileocolic
* colic
* anterior cecal
* posterior cecal
* ileal branch
* appendicular
* Right colic
* Middle colic
* Marginal

Suprarenal|

* Middle suprarenal

Renal|

* Inferior suprarenal
* Ureteral

Gonadal|

* Testicular artery
* Ovarian artery

Lumbar|

* Lumbar arteries

Inferior mesenteric|

* Left colic
* Marginal
* Sigmoid
* Superior rectal

Common iliac|

| Internal iliac|

| Posterior surface|

| Iliolumbar|

* Lumbar branch
* Iliac branch

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Anterior surface|

| Superior vesical artery|

* Umbilical artery
* Medial umbilical ligament
* to ductus deferens

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Obturator|

* Anterior branch
* Pubic branch
* Posterior branch
* Acetabular branch
* Cruciate anastomosis
* Corona mortis

Middle rectal|

* Vaginal branch ♀ / Prostatic branch ♂

Uterine ♀|

* Arcuate
* Vaginal branches
* Ovarian branches
* Tubal branches
* Spiral

* Vaginal ♀ / Inferior vesical ♂

Inferior gluteal|

* Accompanying of sciatic 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

External iliac|

* Inferior epigastric
* Corona mortis
* Deep circumflex iliac
* Femoral
* see arteries of lower limbs

Median sacral|

* Coccygeal glomus

Portal:

* Anatomy

Authority control databases |

* Terminologia Anatomica

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