In human male

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...

, the dorsal veins of the penis are

blood vessels Blood vessels are the tubular structures of a circulatory system that transport blood throughout many animals’ bodies. Blood vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to most of the tissues of a body. They also take waste an ...

that drain the

shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

( corpora cavernosa,

corpus spongiosum The corpus spongiosum is the mass of spongy tissue surrounding the male urethra within the penis. It is also called the corpus cavernosum urethrae in older texts. Structure The proximal part of the corpus spongiosum is expanded to form the ...

), the skin and the

glans The glans (, : glandes ; from the Latin word for "acorn") is a vascular structure located at the tip of the penis in male mammals or a homologous genital structure of the clitoris in female mammals. Structure The exterior structure of the g ...

of the

human penis In Human body, human anatomy, the penis (; : penises or penes; from the Latin ''pēnis'', initially 'tail') is an external sex organ (intromittent organ) through which males urination, urinate and ejaculation, ejaculate, as Penis, on other anim ...

. They are typically located in the midline on the dorsal aspect of the penis and they comprise the superficial dorsal vein of the penis, that lies in the subcutaneous tissue of the shaft, and the deep dorsal vein of the penis, that lies beneath the

deep fascia Deep fascia (or investing fascia) is a fascia, a layer of dense connective tissue that can surround individual muscles and groups of muscles to separate into fascial compartments. This fibrous connective tissue interpenetrates and surrounds the m ...

Superficial dorsal vein

The ''superficial dorsal vein of the penis'' belongs to the superficial drainage system. It is located within the superficial

dartos fascia The dartos fascia, dartos tunic or simply dartos is a layer of connective tissue found in the penile shaft, foreskin and scrotum. The penile portion is referred to as the superficial fascia of penis or the subcutaneous tissue of penis, while the ...

, a continuation of the

Colles' fascia The membranous layer of the superficial fascia of the perineum (Colles' fascia) is the deeper layer ( membranous layer) of the superficial perineal fascia. It is thin, aponeurotic in structure, and of considerable strength, serving to bind down t ...

, on the dorsal surface of the penis and, in contrast to the deep dorsal vein, it lies outside the deeper

Buck's fascia Buck's fascia (deep fascia of the penis, Gallaudet's fascia or fascia of the penis) is a layer of deep fascia covering the three erectile bodies of the penis. Structure Buck's fascia is continuous with the external spermatic fascia in the scro ...

. It is formed by smaller superficial veins that merge on the dorsolateral aspect of the penis. It drains the

prepuce Prepuce , or as an adjective, preputial , refers to two homologous structures of male and female genitals: *Foreskin, skin surrounding and protecting the head of the penis in humans *Penile sheath, skin surrounding and protecting the head of the ...

and the skin of the shaft, and, running backward in the

subcutaneous tissue The subcutaneous tissue (), also called the hypodermis, hypoderm (), subcutis, or superficial fascia, is the lowermost layer of the integumentary system in vertebrates. The types of cells found in the layer are fibroblasts, adipose cells, and ma ...

, inclines to the right or left, and opens into the corresponding

superficial external pudendal vein The external pudendal veins (deep pudendal and superficial pudendal) are veins of the pelvis which drain into the great saphenous vein The great saphenous vein (GSV; ) or long saphenous vein is a large, subcutaneous, superficial vein of the huma ...

, a tributary of the

great saphenous vein The great saphenous vein (GSV; ) or long saphenous vein is a large, subcutaneous, superficial vein of the human leg, leg. It is the longest vein in the body, running along the length of the lower limb, returning blood from the foot, human leg, le ...

Deep dorsal vein

The ''deep dorsal vein of the penis'' belongs to the intermediate drainage system of the penis, along with the circumflex veins and their emissary veins. It runs directly beneath the superficial dorsal vein, with a layer of connective tissue, the deep fascia of the penis, separating the two vessels. It receives oxygen-depleted blood from the glans and corpora cavernosa and courses backward in the middle line accompanied by the dorsal arteries on each side. Near the root of the penis, it passes between the two parts of the

suspensory ligament A suspensory ligament is a ligament that supports a body part, especially an organ. Types include: * Suspensory ligament of axilla, also known as Gerdy's ligament * Cooper's ligaments, also known as the suspensory ligaments of Cooper or Suspenso ...

and then through an aperture between the

arcuate pubic ligament The pubic symphysis (: symphyses) is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attaches ...

and the

transverse ligament of the pelvis Transverse may refer to: *Transverse engine, an engine in which the crankshaft is oriented side-to-side relative to the wheels of the vehicle * Transverse flute, a flute that is held horizontally * Transverse force (or ''Euler force''), the tange ...

, and divides into two branches, which enter the vesical and prostatic plexuses. From the prostatic plexus, the deoxygenated blood travels through the venal system until it arrives at the center of the

circulatory system In vertebrates, the circulatory system is a system of organs that includes the heart, blood vessels, and blood which is circulated throughout the body. It includes the cardiovascular system, or vascular system, that consists of the heart ...

for resupply with oxygen in the lungs and recirculation through the left side of the heart. The deep vein also communicates below the

pubic symphysis The pubic symphysis (: symphyses) is a secondary cartilaginous joint between the left and right superior rami of the pubis of the hip bones. It is in front of and below the urinary bladder. In males, the suspensory ligament of the penis attache ...

with the

internal pudendal vein The internal pudendal veins (internal pudic veins) are a set of veins in the pelvis. They are the venae comitantes of the internal pudendal artery. Internal pudendal veins are enclosed by pudendal canal, with internal pudendal artery and pudenda ...

Clinical significance

It is possible but rare for the superficial dorsal vein to rupture during intercourse, which presents in a manner similar to

penile fracture Penile fracture is rupture of one or both of the '' tunica albuginea'', the fibrous coverings that envelop the penis's '' corpora cavernosa''. It is caused by rapid blunt force to an erect penis, usually during vaginal intercourse, or aggressive ...

. The dorsal veins of the penis can be used for intravenous injections 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 ...

Additional images

File:Gray585.png, The veins of the right half of the male pelvis File:Gray1159.png, Veins of the penis File:Gray1156.png, Vertical section of bladder, penis, and urethra File:Gray1155 a.png, Transverse section of the penis File:Slide4Nemo.JPG, Anterior abdominal wall, intermediate dissection File:Male human genitals - flaccid, uncircumcised.jpg, Prominent superficial dorsal vein

References

External links

* () {{Portal bar, Anatomy Veins of the torso Human penis anatomy