The uterine vein is a vein of the uterus. It is found in the
cardinal ligament
The cardinal ligament (or Mackenrodt's ligament, lateral cervical ligament, or transverse cervical ligament) is a major ligament of the uterus. It is located at the base of the broad ligament of the uterus. There are a pair of cardinal ligaments i ...
. It drains into the
internal iliac vein. It follows a similar course to the
uterine artery
The uterine artery is an artery that supplies blood to the uterus in females.
Structure
The uterine artery usually arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. It travels to the uterus, crossing the ureter anteriorly, to the ute ...
. It helps to drain blood from the
uterus
The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...
, and removes waste from blood in the
placenta
The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...
during
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...
.
Structure
The uterine vein is found in the
cardinal ligament
The cardinal ligament (or Mackenrodt's ligament, lateral cervical ligament, or transverse cervical ligament) is a major ligament of the uterus. It is located at the base of the broad ligament of the uterus. There are a pair of cardinal ligaments i ...
of the
uterus
The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...
. It travels through the
broad ligament of the uterus
The broad ligament of the uterus is the wide fold of peritoneum that connects the sides of the uterus to the walls and floor of the pelvis.
Structure
Subdivisions
Contents
The contents of the broad ligament include the following:
* Reprodu ...
to the lateral
abdominal wall
In anatomy, the abdominal wall represents the boundaries of the abdominal cavity. The abdominal wall is split into the anterolateral and posterior walls.
There is a common set of layers covering and forming all the walls: the deepest being the v ...
.
It drains into the
internal iliac vein.
The uterine vein forms a venous plexus around the
cervix
The cervix or cervix uteri (Latin, 'neck of the uterus') is the lower part of the uterus (womb) in the human female reproductive system. The cervix is usually 2 to 3 cm long (~1 inch) and roughly cylindrical in shape, which changes during ...
.
It follows a similar course to the
uterine artery
The uterine artery is an artery that supplies blood to the uterus in females.
Structure
The uterine artery usually arises from the anterior division of the internal iliac artery. It travels to the uterus, crossing the ureter anteriorly, to the ute ...
.
Lymphatic vessels are associated with it.
It also
anastomoses
An anastomosis (, plural anastomoses) is a connection or opening between two things (especially cavities or passages) that are normally diverging or branching, such as between blood vessels, leaf veins, or streams. Such a connection may be normal ...
with the
ovarian vein
The ovarian vein, the female gonadal vein, carries deoxygenated blood from its corresponding ovary to inferior vena cava or one of its tributaries. It is the female equivalent of the testicular vein, and is the venous counterpart of the ovarian ...
.
It may anastomose with the
vaginal venous plexus
The vaginal venous plexus is a group of veins draining blood from the vagina. It lies around the sides of the vagina. Its blood is eventually into the internal iliac veins.
Structure
The vaginal venous plexus lies around the sides of the vagi ...
.
Function
The uterine vein helps to drain blood from the
uterus
The uterus (from Latin ''uterus'', plural ''uteri'') or womb () is the organ in the reproductive system of most female mammals, including humans that accommodates the embryonic and fetal development of one or more embryos until birth. The uter ...
.
This is also important for the removal of waste from blood in the
placenta
The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...
during
pregnancy
Pregnancy is the time during which one or more offspring develops ( gestates) inside a woman's uterus (womb). A multiple pregnancy involves more than one offspring, such as with twins.
Pregnancy usually occurs by sexual intercourse, but ca ...
.
Clinical significance
Placenta measurement
Measurements of the
partial pressure
In a mixture of gases, each constituent gas has a partial pressure which is the notional pressure of that constituent gas as if it alone occupied the entire volume of the original mixture at the same temperature. The total pressure of an ideal gas ...
of O
2 in the uterine vein can be used as an analogue of the partial pressure of O
2 in the
placenta
The placenta is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas and waste exchange between the physically separate mater ...
.
This may be measured during
Caesarian section
Caesarean section, also known as C-section or caesarean delivery, is the surgical procedure by which one or more babies are delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen, often performed because vaginal delivery would put the baby or mo ...
.
Embolism
Very rarely,
amniotic fluid
The amniotic fluid is the protective liquid contained by the amniotic sac of a gravid amniote. This fluid serves as a cushion for the growing fetus, but also serves to facilitate the exchange of nutrients, water, and biochemical products betwee ...
may enter a uterine vein during
childbirth
Childbirth, also known as labour and delivery, is the ending of pregnancy where one or more babies exits the internal environment of the mother via vaginal delivery or caesarean section. In 2019, there were about 140.11 million births globall ...
.
This is a rare cause of an
embolism
An embolism is the lodging of an embolus, a blockage-causing piece of material, inside a blood vessel. The embolus may be a blood clot (thrombus), a fat globule ( fat embolism), a bubble of air or other gas (gas embolism), amniotic fluid (amniot ...
.
Other animals
The uterine vein may be very different in non-human animals.
In
rats
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents. Species of rats are found throughout the order Rodentia, but stereotypical rats are found in the genus ''Rattus''. Other rat genera include ''Neotoma'' (pack rats), ''Bandicota'' (bandicoot ...
, it drains into the
common iliac vein
In human anatomy, the common iliac veins are formed by the external iliac veins and internal iliac veins. The left and right common iliac veins come together in the abdomen at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, forming the inferior vena c ...
.
References
External links
* http://www.ucd.ie/vetanat/images/38.gif
{{Authority control
Veins of the torso
Uterus