Internal pudendal artery

Template:Short description Template:Infobox artery The internal pudendal artery is one of the three pudendal arteries. It branches off the internal iliac artery, and provides blood to the external genitalia.

Structure

The internal pudendal artery is the terminal branch of the anterior trunk of the internal iliac artery.<ref name=":0" /> It is smaller in the female than in the male.

Path

It arises from the anterior division of internal iliac artery. It runs on the lateral pelvic wall. It exits the pelvic cavity through the greater sciatic foramen, inferior to the piriformis muscle, to enter the gluteal region.

It then curves around the sacrospinous ligament to enter the perineum through the lesser sciatic foramen.

It travels through the pudendal canal with the internal pudendal veins and the pudendal nerve.

Branches

The internal pudendal artery gives off the following branches:

In females	In males	Description
Inferior rectal artery	Inferior rectal artery	to anal canal
Perineal artery	Perineal artery	supplies transversus perinei superficialis muscle
Posterior labial branches	Posterior scrotal branches	-
Artery of bulb of vestibule	Artery of bulb of penis<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref>	supplies bulb of vestibule/bulb of penis
Dorsal artery of clitoris	Dorsal artery of the penis<ref name=":0" />	-
Deep artery of clitoris	Deep artery of the penis<ref name=":0" />	to corpus cavernosum penis/clitoridis

The deep artery of clitoris is a branch of the internal pudendal artery and supplies the clitoral crura. Another branch of the internal pudendal artery is the dorsal artery of clitoris.

Some sources consider the urethral artery a direct branch of the internal pudendal artery,<ref>Template:DorlandsDict</ref> while others consider it a branch of the perineal artery.Template:Citation needed

In males, the internal pudendal artery also gives rise to the perforating arteries of the penis.<ref name=":0" />

Variation

Around 70% of men have an accessory internal pudendal artery.<ref name=":0" /> This usually does not originate from the internal iliac artery, instead originating from the external iliac artery, the obturator artery, or the vesical arteries.<ref name=":0" />

Function

The internal pudendal artery supplies blood to the external genitalia.

Clinical significance

In women, the internal pudendal artery may be damaged during childbirth.<ref name=":1">Template:Citation</ref> This may cause a haematoma, which usually resolves without treatment, but may form an infected abscess.<ref name=":1" />

Additional images

• Gray236.png

  Right hip bone. Internal surface.

• Gray829.png

  Dissection of side wall of pelvis showing sacral and pudendal plexuses.

• Gray543.png

  The deeper branches of the internal pudendal artery.

• Gray1158.png

  Diagram of the arteries of the penis.

• Gray588.png

  The penis in transverse section, showing the blood vessels.

• Slide8khi.JPG

  Internal pudendal artery. Deep dissection. Lateral view.

• Grant 1962 228.png

  Diagram of the arteries of the vulva.

See also

• Pudendal nerve
• Superficial external pudendal artery
• Deep external pudendal artery

References

<references/>

External links

• Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs - "Inferior view of female perineum, branches of the internal pudendal artery."
• Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs - "Inferior view of female perineum, branches of the internal pudendal artery."
• Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs - "Branches of internal pudendal artery in the male perineum."
• Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs - "Sagittal view of the internal iliac artery and its branches in the female pelvis. "
• Template:SUNYAnatomyFigs - "Sagittal view of the internal iliac artery and its branches in the male pelvis. "
• Template:SUNYAnatomyImage
• Template:MedicalMnemonics
• Template:NormanAnatomy (Template:NormanAnatomyFig)
• Template:DartmouthHumanAnatomy
• Template:DartmouthHumanAnatomy
• Diagram at MSU Template:Webarchive