title: Anatomical study of the inferior vesical artery: is it specific to the male sex?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to clarify the origin of the inferior vesical artery and determine its existence in women.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study is based on 25 dissections (6 male and 19 female cadavers). We dissected the internal iliac artery and its branches from the iliac bifurcation, bilaterally and comparatively. Each arterial branch supplying the bladder was identified and dissected as far as the bladder.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 50 topographies of the bladder vascularization were visualised. The inferior vesical artery was observed in 92% of the male subjects and in 47.4% of the female subjects. In the male cadavers, it arose from the internal iliac artery in 72.7% of cases and from the umbilical artery in 27.3% of cases. In the female cadavers, it arose from a common trunk with the umbilical artery and the uterine artery in 33.3% of cases and directly from the umbilical artery in 33.3% with one terminal branch supplying the upper part of the vagina. In two female subjects, the inferior vesical artery arose from the first segment of the uterine artery (22.2%), and in one subject from the obturator artery (11.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The inferior vesical artery is not specific to the male sex. The contradictions found in the literature of this artery are due to the variations observed in pelvic vascularization and to the close connections between vaginal and bladder vascularisation in women. However, surgeons should consider these variations, to prevent bladder devascularization by non-selective ligation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Department of Urology, Rangueil Hospital, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: O Merigot
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: de Treigny
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Department of Urology, Rangueil Hospital, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roumiguie
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecological Surgery, Rangueil Hospital, CHU Toulouse, 1 avenue J Poulhès, TSA 50032, 31059, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deudon
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Larrey Hospital, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Bonnecaze
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Department of Pediatric Surgery, CHU Paule de Viguier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Carfagna
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Neurosurgical Department, Pierre Paul Riquet Hospital, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chaynes
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France.|Department of Gynecological Surgery, Rangueil Hospital, CHU Toulouse, 1 avenue J Poulhès, TSA 50032, 31059, Toulouse Cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rimailho
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine Toulouse, Toulouse, France. echantalat@yahoo.fr.|Department of Gynecological Surgery, Rangueil Hospital, CHU Toulouse, 1 avenue J Poulhès, TSA 50032, 31059, Toulouse Cedex 9, France. echantalat@yahoo.fr.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chantalat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D063405:Anatomic Variation; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007083:Iliac Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D014469:Umbilical Arteries / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000098:blood supply*; D055988:Uterine Artery / Q000033:anatomy & histology*
keywords: Bladder vascularization; Inferior vesical artery; Internal iliac artery; Pelvic vascularization; Umbilical artery; Vaginal artery