Vaginal artery

Artery: Vaginal artery
Arteries of the female reproductive tract (posterior view): uterine artery, ovarian artery and vaginal arteries.
Vessels of the uterus and its appendages, rear view.
Latin	arteria vaginalis
Gray's	subject #155 616
Supplies	urinary bladder, ureter, vagina
Source	Internal iliac artery Uterine artery
Vein	vaginal venous plexus

The vaginal artery is an artery in females that supplies blood to the vagina.

Terminology

The vaginal artery is usually defined as a branch of the internal iliac artery.

Vaginal artery

Some sources say that the vaginal artery can arise from the internal iliac artery or the uterine artery. However, the phrase vaginal branches of uterine artery is the Terminologia Anatomica term for blood supply to the vagina coming from the uterine artery.

Some texts consider the inferior vesical artery to be found only in males, and that this structure in females is a vaginal artery.

Structure

It descends to the vagina, supplying its mucous membrane. It can send branches to the bulb of the vestibule, the fundus of the bladder, and the contiguous part of the rectum.

The vaginal artery is frequently represented by two or three branches.

See also

• Uterine artery

External links

• Vaginal+artery at eMedicine Dictionary
• SUNY Labs 43:13-0206 - "The Female Pelvis: Branches of Internal Iliac Artery"

This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.