Rectal venous plexus
| Rectal venous plexus | |
|---|---|
Scheme of the anastomosis of the veins of the rectum. | |
The veins of the right half of the male pelvis. | |
| Details | |
| Drains to | Superior rectal vein, middle rectal vein(s), inferior rectal veins |
| Identifiers | |
| Latin | plexus venosus rectalis, plexus haemorrhoidalis |
| TA98 | A12.3.10.010 |
| TA2 | 5031 |
| FMA | 18933 |
| Anatomical terminology | |
The rectal venous plexus (or hemorrhoidal plexus) is the venous plexus surrounding the rectum. It consists of an internal and an external rectal plexus.: 598 : 294 It is drained by the superior, middle, and inferior rectal veins. It forms a portosystemic (portocaval) anastomosis. This allows rectally administered medications to bypass first pass metabolism.
Despite the inclusion of the term "rectal" into the name, the venous plexus is positionally, functionally, and clinically primarily related to the anal canal.