Human testicular arterial supply: gross anatomy, corrosion cast, and radiologic study.
OBJECTIVE
To study human testicular arterial supply.


METHODS
Prospective.


METHODS
Academic setting.


METHODS
Forty fresh male cadavers.


METHODS
Gross anatomy of 20 cadavers, corrosion casting of 10, and radiography of 10.


METHODS
Testicular vascular supply, course, branching, and anastomosis.


RESULTS
The testicular artery descends bilaterally in a straight course (85%) and in a convoluted course (15%). There were three sites of terminations: along the upper pole of the mediastinum testis (78.8%), giving terminal branches (16.2%) or descends without division (5%). Four patterns of termination were found, but in the majority (69.7%) it terminates as upper and lower polar branches. The cremasteric artery arises from the inferior epigastric artery and terminates close to the lower end of the testis, anastomosing with the lower polar branch of the testicular artery. The artery of the vas arises from the inferior vesical artery, terminates by several capsular branches close to the mediastinum testis, anastomosing with branches of the testicular artery along the mediastinum testis.


CONCLUSIONS
The testis gets its arterial supply mainly from the testicular artery supplemented with the cremastric artery and the artery of the vas. The testis has rich vascular areas in the upper polar, mediastinum testis, and posterolateral segments.
Department of Andrology & Sexology, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. taymour1155@link.net
Taymour
T
Mostafa
Ibrahim
I
Labib
Yasser
Y
El-Khayat
Abd
A
El-Rahman El-Shahat
Amr
A
Gadallah
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography; D001158:Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D002102:Cadaver; D016319:Corrosion Casting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013085:Spermatic Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply*; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000098:blood supply*