The perineal artery (superficial perineal artery) arises from the

internal pudendal artery The internal pudendal artery is one of the three pudendal arteries. It branches off the internal iliac artery, and provides blood to the external genitalia. Structure The internal pudendal artery is the terminal branch of the anterior trunk ...

, and turns upward, crossing either over or under the

superficial transverse perineal muscle The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

, and runs forward, parallel to the

pubic arch The pubic arch, also referred to as the ischiopubic arch, is part of the pelvis. It is formed by the convergence of the inferior rami of the ischium and pubis on either side, below the pubic symphysis. The angle at which they converge is known a ...

, in the interspace between the

bulbospongiosus The bulbospongiosus muscles (in older texts bulbocavernosus and, for female muscle, constrictor cunni) are a subgroup of the superficial muscles of the perineum. They have a slightly different origin, insertion and function in males and females. ...

and

ischiocavernosus muscle The ischiocavernosus muscle (erectores penis ''or'' erector clitoridis in older texts) is a muscle just below the surface of the perineum, present in both men and women. Structure It arises by tendinous and fleshy fibers from the inner surface o ...

s, both of which it supplies, and finally divides into several posterior scrotal branches which are distributed to the skin and dartos tunic of the

scrotum In most terrestrial mammals, the scrotum (: scrotums or scrota; possibly from Latin ''scortum'', meaning "hide" or "skin") or scrotal sac is a part of the external male genitalia located at the base of the penis. It consists of a sac of skin ...

. As it crosses the superficial transverse perineal muscle it gives off the ''transverse perineal artery'' which runs transversely on the cutaneous surface of the muscle, and anastomoses with the corresponding vessel of the opposite side and with the perineal and inferior hemorrhoidal arteries. It supplies the

transverse perineal muscles The transverse perineal muscles (transversus perinei) are the superficial and the deep transverse perineal muscles. Superficial transverse perineal ...

and the structures between the

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

and the

urethral bulb The bulb of penis is the proximal/posterior bulged end of the (unpaired median) corpus spongiosum penis. Together with the two crura (one crus on each side of the bulb), it constitutes the root of the penis. It is covered by the bulbospongiosus. ...

References

Arteries of the abdomen {{circulatory-stub