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It usually lies against the lateral wall of pelvis in a depression (ovarian fossa), bounded by
external iliac vessels above & internal iliac vessels behind.
Function: production of female ova & female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) in
the sexually mature female.
Blood Supply
Arteries: ovarian artery arises from abdominal aorta at the level of L1
Veins: ovarian vein drains into IVC on right side & into the left renal vein on left side
Lymph Drainage: follow the ovarian artery & drain into the para-aortic nodes at the level of L1.
Nerve Supply: derived from the aortic plexus & accompanies the ovarian artery.
Ovarian ligament (Round ligament of the ovary): connects the lateral margin of uterus to ovary
Attached to the back of the broad ligament by the mesovarium
Each tube is ~10 cm long & lies in the upper border of broad ligament
Infundibulum:
Funnel-shaped lateral end that projects beyond the broad ligament & overlies the ovary.
The free edge of the funnel has several fingerlike processes, known as
fimbriae, which are draped over the ovary.
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Blood Supply:
Arteries: The uterine artery from internal iliac artery & the ovarian artery from abdominal aorta.
Veins: correspond to the arteries.
The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ with thick muscular walls, (8 cm)
long, (5 cm) wide & (2.5 cm) thick.
It is divided into the fundus, body, and cervix
The fundus lies above the entrance of the uterine tubes.
The body lies below the entrance of the uterine tubes.
The cervix is the narrow part of the uterus. It pierces the anterior wall of
vagina & is divided into supravaginal & vaginal parts.
The cavity of the cervix (cervical canal) communicates with the cavity of
the body through internal os & with that of vagina through external os.
The uterus is covered with peritoneum except anteriorly, below the level of the
internal os, where the peritoneum passes forward onto the bladder.
Function: it serves as a site for the reception, retention, and nutrition of the
fertilized ovum.
Relations:
Anteriorly:
o The body of the uterus is related anteriorly to the uterovesical pouch and
the superior surface of the bladder
o The supravaginal cervix is related to the superior surface of the bladder
o The vaginal cervix is related to the anterior fornix of the vagina.
Posteriorly:
o The body of the uterus is related posteriorly to the rectouterine pouch
(pouch of Douglas) with coils of ileum or sigmoid colon within it
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Laterally:
o The body: broad ligament & uterine artery and vein
o Supravaginal cervix: ureter as it passes forward to enter the bladder.
o Vaginal cervix: lateral fornix of the vagina.
o The uterine tubes enter the superolateral angles of the uterus & the round
ligaments of the ovary & uterus are attached to the uterine wall just below
this level.
Blood Supply
Arteries: uterine artery, a branch of the internal iliac artery which
anastomose with the ovarian artery, which also assists in supplying uterus.
Veins: uterine vein follows the artery & drains into the internal iliac vein.
Lymph Drainage:
The lymph vessels from the fundus: accompany the ovarian artery & drain
into para-aortic nodes at L1.
From the body & cervix: drain into internal & external iliac lymph nodes.
A few lymph vessels follow the round ligament of uterus through the
inguinal canal and drain into the superficial inguinal lymph nodes.
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Anteversion: In most women, the long axis of the uterus is bent forward
on the long axis of the vagina.
Anteflexion: the long axis of the body of uterus is bent forward at the
level of internal os with the long axis of the cervix
Retroversion: in some women, the fundus & body are bent backward on
the vagina so that they lie in the rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas).
Retroflexion: if the body of the uterus is, in addition, bent backward on
the cervix.
It is a muscular tube that extends upward & backward from the vulva to
the uterus. ~ 8 cm long and has anterior and posterior walls
At its upper end, the anterior wall is pierced by the cervix.
The vaginal orifice in a virgin possesses a thin mucosal fold called the hymen
The upper half of the vagina lies above the pelvic floor & the lower half lies within
the perineum.
The area of the vaginal lumen, which surrounds the cervix, is divided into four
regions, or fornices: anterior, posterior, right lateral & left lateral.
Function: it is the female genital canal which serves as the excretory duct for the
menstrual flow & forms part of the birth canal.
Relations:
Anteriorly: bladder above & urethra below
Posteriorly:
o Upper 1/3 of the vagina > rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas).
o Middle 1/3> rectum.
o Lower 1/3> perineal body, which separates it from the anal canal.
Laterally:
o Upper part: ureter
o Middle part: anterior fibers of levator ani. Contraction of fibers of levator ani
compresses the walls of vagina.
o Lower part: urogenital diaphragm & the bulb of the vestibule.
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Blood Supply
Arteries: vaginal artery, a branch of internal iliac A & the vaginal branch of uterine artery.
Veins: vaginal veins form a plexus around the vagina that drains into internal iliac vein
Lymph Drainage:
Upper 1/3 of the vagina drains to the external & internal iliac nodes
Middle 1/3 drains to the internal iliac nodes
Lower 1/3 drains to the superficial inguinal nodes.
The visceral pelvic fascia is a layer of connective tissue which covers &
supports the pelvic viscera.
Subperitoneal condensations of pelvic fascia on the upper surface of the
levatores ani form the pubocervical, transverse cervical & sacrocervical
ligaments of the uterus.
They are attached to the cervix & the vault of vagina and play an important
role in supporting the uterus & keeping the cervix in its correct position.
Transverse Cervical (Cardinal) Ligaments: fibromuscular condensations
of pelvic fascia that pass from the lateral walls of pelvis to the cervix &
upper end of vagina.
Pubocervical Ligaments: 2 firm bands of CT that pass from the posterior
surface of pubis to the cervix. They are positioned on either side of the
neck of bladder & give some support (pubovesical ligaments).
Sacrocervical Ligaments: 2 firm fibromuscular bands of pelvic fascia that pass from the
lower end of sacrum to the cervix & upper end of vagina. They form two ridges, one on
either side of the rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas).
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The peritoneum passes down from anterior abdominal wall onto the upper surface of urinary
bladder.
It then runs directly onto the anterior surface of uterus, at the level of the internal os & then
over the posterior surface.
It continues downward and covers the upper part of posterior vagina, where it forms the
anterior wall of the rectouterine pouch (pouch of Douglas).
In female, the lowest part of abdominopelvic peritoneal cavity in the erect position is the
rectouterine pouch.
Two-layered folds of peritoneum that extend across the pelvic cavity from the lateral margins
of uterus to the lateral pelvic walls.
Superiorly, the two layers are continuous & form the upper free edge.
Inferiorly, at the base of the ligament, the layers separate to cover the pelvic floor.
The ovary is attached to the posterior layer by the mesovarium.
The part of the broad ligament that lies lateral to the attachment of the mesovarium forms
the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
The part of the broad ligament between uterine tube & mesovarium is called the
mesosalpinx.
At the base of it, the uterine artery crosses the ureter
Each broad ligament contains the following:
Uterine tube in its upper free border
Round ligament of the ovary & uterus.
Uterine & ovarian blood vessels, lymph vessels, and nerves
Epoophoron: a vestigial structure that lies in the broad ligament above the attachment of
mesovarium. It represents the remains of mesonephros.
Paroöphoron: a vestigial structure that lies in the broad ligament just lateral to uterus. It
is a mesonephric remnant.
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Root of the Clitoris: 3 masses of erectile tissue, bulb of the vestibule & right and left crura.
The bulb of the vestibule: divided into 2 halves because of the presence of vagina.
Attached to the undersurface of urogenital diaphragm & covered by bulbospongiosus.
The crura of the clitoris: become the corpora cavernosa anteriorly. Each remains separate
and is covered by an ischiocavernosus muscle
The term vulva, or pudendum, refers to the external genitalia of the female.
It includes the mons pubis, labia majora & minora, clitoris, vestibule of the vagina, vestibular bulb,
greater vestibular glands, external urethral orifice & paraurethral (Skene’s) glands
Blood Supply: Branches of external & internal pudendal arteries on each side.
Lymph Drainage: Medial group of superficial inguinal nodes.
Nerve Supply:
The anterior parts: are supplied by ilioinguinal nerves & genital branch of genitofemoral nerves.
The posterior parts: are supplied by branches of perineal N & posterior cutaneous nerves of thigh
It is about 3.8 cm long that extends from the neck of bladder to external meatus
Opens into the vestibule 2.5 cm below the clitoris.
At the sides of external urethral meatus are the small openings of the ducts of paraurethral glands
which correspond to the prostate in the male (open into the vestibule).