Gonadal (testicular / ovarian) arteries
Branch · detail · L2 Para-aortic nodes
Testicular or ovarian arteries from the front of the aorta at L2, just below the renal arteries, reflecting the embryological origin of the gonads on the posterior abdominal wall. The testicular artery descends through the inguinal canal in the spermatic cord; the ovarian artery enters the pelvis in the suspensory ligament of the ovary.
Traced from the start
- Abdominal aorta
- Gonadal (testicular / ovarian) arteries
Detail
- Level
- L2
- Course
- Retroperitoneal, crossing in front of the ureter
- Lymphatics
- Gonadal lymph follows the artery back to the para-aortic nodes at L2, not the inguinal nodes
When it goes wrong
Testicular tumour
Spreads first to the para-aortic (lumbar) nodes; inguinal nodes are involved only if the scrotal skin is breached
Testicular torsion twisting the spermatic cord
Occludes the testicular artery: sudden severe testicular pain, high-riding testis with an absent cremasteric reflex; salvage falls sharply after 6 hours
Practise this structure
1 question in the bank tagged Arterial Supply.