Inferior hypogastric plexus

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
TA	A14.3.03.048
FMA	6643
	Anatomical terms of neuroanatomy

The inferior hypogastric plexus (pelvic plexus in some texts)[1] is a plexus of nerves that supplies the viscera of the pelvic cavity. The inferior hypogastric plexus gives rise to the prostatic plexus in males and the uterovaginal plexus in females [2].

The inferior hypogastric plexus is a paired structure, with each situated on the side of the rectum in the male, and at the sides of the rectum and vagina in the female. For this reason, injury to this structure is a known complication of pelvic surgeries and may cause urinary dysfunction and specifically urinary incontinence. Urodynamics will reveal a poorly compliant bladder, with bladder neck incompetence, and fixed external sphincter tone [3] .

Sources

Contributions to the plexus include:

a continuation of the superior hypogastric plexus on either side, in the form of the hypogastric nerve.
sacral splanchnic nerves, which emerge from the sympathetic trunk.
pelvic splanchnic nerves (from the second, third, and fourth sacral nerves) also contribute parasympathetic efferent fibers to the plexus.

At the points of junction of these nerves small ganglia are found.

Course

From these plexuses numerous branches are distributed to the viscera of the pelvis.

They accompany the branches of the internal iliac artery.

It is the source for the middle rectal plexus, vesical plexus, prostatic plexus, and uterovaginal plexus.[4]

Additional images

References

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

Yokochi, Chihiro; Rohen, Johannes W. (2006). Color Atlas of Anatomy: A Photographic Study of the Human Body. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 346. ISBN 0-7817-9013-1.
http://anatomy.uams.edu/pelvicwall.html
CAMPBELL-WALSH UROLOGY, ed 11. p. 1781.
Jeyarajah S, King A, Papagrigoriadis S (2007). "Faecal incontinence as presentation of an ependymomas of the spinal cord". World J Surg Oncol. 5: 107. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-5-107. PMC 2034572. PMID 17894884.

External links

Autonomics of the Pelvis - Page 5 of 12 anatomy module at med.umich.edu
Autonomics of the Pelvis - Page 6 of 12 anatomy module at med.umich.edu
figures/chapter_32/32-6.HTM: Basic Human Anatomy at Dartmouth Medical School
posteriorabdomen at The Anatomy Lesson by Wesley Norman (Georgetown University) (posteriorabdmus&nerves)

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[isbn0-7817-9013-1-1] Yokochi, Chihiro; Rohen, Johannes W. (2006). Color Atlas of Anatomy: A Photographic Study of the Human Body. Hagerstown, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. p. 346. ISBN 0-7817-9013-1.

[2] ttp://anatomy.uams.edu/pelvicwall.html

[3] CAMPBELL-WALSH UROLOGY, ed 11. p. 1781.

[pmid17894884-4] Jeyarajah S, King A, Papagrigoriadis S (2007). "Faecal incontinence as presentation of an ependymomas of the spinal cord". World J Surg Oncol. 5: 107. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-5-107. PMC 2034572. PMID 17894884.