Cross-sectional anatomy of the male pelvis
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SPECIAL SECTION: MALE PELVIS
Cross‑sectional anatomy of the male pelvis Lyndon Luk1 · Myles T. Taffel2
© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract The visceral organs of the male pelvis have complex anatomic relationships with the surrounding extraperitoneal spaces, supplying arteries and adjacent pelvic musculature. Since various neoplastic, vascular, and traumatic pathologies can often involve multiple organs and spread into adjacent pelvic spaces, a keen understanding of this intricate anatomy can help radiologists to accurately characterize findings and improve recognition of the routes in which these conditions can spread. The purpose of this review is to examine the relationships between the anatomic compartments of the pelvic extraperitoneal space, summarize the pelvic arterial anatomy, and identify the pelvic muscles that support normal genitourinary function. Keywords Male pelvis · Extraperitoneal · Anatomy
Introduction
Extraperitoneal pelvic spaces
The use of cross-sectional modalities such as computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating the male pelvis has become commonplace. Radiologists should have keen understanding of the fascial layers lining the muscles and visceral organs of the male pelvis and the extraperitoneal compartments that these layers form. The communication between these spaces dictates the spread and containment of different neoplastic and traumatic pathologies. Other common conditions in the male pelvis such as high-flow priapism and benign prostatic hyperplasia have a vasculogenic origin and treatment. Though the main arterial supply for several of the organs in the male pelvis are diminutive and difficult to visualize on cross-sectional imaging, radiologists should have a basic understanding of the key pelvic arterial branches arising from the internal iliac artery. The purpose of this review is to examine the relationships between the anatomic compartments of the pelvic extraperitoneal space, summarize the pelvic arterial anatomy, and identify the pelvic muscles that support normal genitourinary function.
The pelvis is primarily located within the extraperitoneal space, which is comprised of the space between the peritoneum internally and transversalis fascia externally [1–4]. The majority of the male pelvis is located within the inferior extraperitoneal space. This space consists of an anterior and a posterior compartment that is separated by the rectovesical septum, also known as the Denonvillier’s fascia [5, 6]. The anterior pelvic compartment is divided into the prevesical space and perivesical space, while the posterior compartment is divided into the perirectal space and presacral space.
* Lyndon Luk [email protected] 1
Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
Department of Radiology, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
2
Extraperitoneal anatomy A key structure in the delineation of the anterior pelvic compartment is
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