The prostatic venous plexus surrounds the front and sides of the prostate, lying between its fibrous capsule and the surrounding prostatic fascia. It receives the deep dorsal vein of the penis and veins from the prostate and bladder base. It drains to the internal iliac veins and communicates with the vesical venous plexus and the vertebral venous plexus.
| Origin | Deep dorsal vein of the penis and veins of the prostate |
|---|---|
| Course | Surrounds the anterior and lateral surfaces of the prostate within its fascial sheath and drains backward into the internal iliac veins |
| Branches |
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During radical prostatectomy, the front part of the plexus with the deep dorsal vein (the dorsal venous complex) must be controlled to prevent heavy bleeding. Its valveless connections with the vertebral venous plexus (the Batson plexus) help explain why prostate cancer spreads so often to the lumbar spine and pelvis. Prostatic venous congestion may also contribute to bleeding after transurethral surgery.
Division of the anterior prostatic venous plexus during radical prostatectomy can cause major blood loss unless it is ligated or sutured first.
Tumour cells travelling through the prostatic plexus into the valveless vertebral veins seed the lumbar spine and pelvis, producing bone pain and characteristic sclerotic bone lesions.
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