Quantitative evaluation of the utero-ovarian venous pattern in the adult human female cadaver with plastination.

Abstract

We described the anatomy of the utero-ovarian venous system in the adult postmenopausal female cadaver using casts and the von Hagen's plastination technique. To qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the uterine vein, the utero-ovarian arcade, the ovarian vein and the ramus communicans between left and right parametrium, we injected epoxy resin into the internal iliac vein and artery and the ovarian vein and artery in six cadavers. In two cases the internal genital organs were excised before injection and in the other four after the injection and polymerization of the resin. All specimens were macroscopically examined and venous diameters were digitally measured, the average values of the measured diameters being 3.38 mm for the uterine vein, 3.71 mm for the utero-ovarian arcade, 3.49 mm for the ovarian vein, and 3.71 mm for the ramus communicans. The veins were completely filled out and could be best examined in the four cases where in situ injection was performed. We could observe that the utero-ovarian arcade is an important vein with a caliber similar to that of the ovarian and uterine veins, that there is an impressive network of venous anastomoses between the left and right parametrium and that the fallopian tubes are drained by three separate veins: internal, median, and external tubal veins. Pelvic venous congestion was present in two specimens; in one of them it was located in the region of the left uterine vein and in the other one in the region of the left ovarian vein. Given the similar average diameters of the uterine vein, ovarian vein, and utero-ovarian arcade, we assume that there is no preferential uterine or ovarian venous drainage and that the veins of the internal genital organs are behaving like a venous pool. Nevertheless, congestion can affect limited sites, which can and should be treated locally.