680 



THE BLOOD-VASCULAR SYSTEM 



of the hypogastric artery. It varies considerably in length, but is usually quite 

 a short trunk, extending from the upper part of the great sciatic foramen to the 

 sacro-liac articulation, where it joins the external iliac to form the common 

 iliac vein. It lies behind and a little medial to the hypogastric artery. It con- 

 tains no valve. 



Tributaries. — The hypogastric vein receives directly or indirectly the following 

 vessels; the superior gluteal, ilio-lumbar, lateral sacral, obturator, inferior 



Fig. 535. — The Inferior Mesenteric Vein. 

 (The colon is turned up, and the small intestines are drawn to the right side.) 



Middle colic artery 



Inferior pancreatico- 

 duodenal artery 

 Superior mesenteric 

 artery 



Right colic artery 



Abdominal aorta 

 Vena cava inferior 



Right common iliac 



Middle sac"a^l artery (\^ ^^ 



and vein 



Left colic artery 



Inferior mesen- 

 teric vein 



Inferior mesen- 

 \ teric artery 



j Left colic artery 



Inferior mesen- 

 teric artery 



Left common iliac 

 vein 



Sigmoid artery 



Superior haemor- 

 rhoidal artery 



gluteal (sciatic), internal pudendal, and (in the female) the uterine veins; also 

 branches from the pudendal, vesical, and ha3morrhoidal plexuses. The single 

 umbilical vein — the vein corresponding to the right and left hypogastric arteries 

 and their continuation, the umbilical arteries — does not enter the pelvis, but, 

 leaving the umbilical arteries at the navel, passes along the falciform ligament 

 to the liver. After birth it is converted into the ligamentum teres hepatis. 

 (See Portal Vein, p. G75.) 



The superior gluteal veins [vv. glutesR superiores] accompany the superior gluteal artery 

 and, passing through the upper part of the great sciatic foramen, open into the hypogastric 

 vein near its termination, either separately or as a single trunk. 



The ilio-lumbar veins [vv. ilio lumbales] open into the hypogastric a little higher than the 

 superior gluteal. At times they join the common iliac vein. 



The lateral sacral veins [vv. sacrales laterales] (fig. ry.W)) join the superior gluteal or the 

 hypogastric at or about the same situation as the gluteal. They form with the middle sacral 

 veins a plexus in front of the sacrum^ which receives tributaries from the sacral canal. 



The obturator vein [v. obturatona] (fig. 536), which lies below the obturator artery as it 

 crosses the side of the pelvis, opens into the front of the hypogastric vein a little below the su- 

 perior gluteal. Its branches correspond to those of the artery. 



The inferior gluteal veins [vv. glutca) inferiores] accompany the inferior gluteal (sciatic) 

 artery, and, as a rule, unite to form a single trunk before joining the hypogastric a little below 

 the oljturator vein. 



All the above veins so closely follow the ramifications of their respective arteries that no 

 further special description of them is required. They all contain valves. 



I 



