Blood supply
Blood supply to the ovaries is by the ovarian arteries, which are branches of abdominal aorta just below the renal artery. They descend down and cross the external iliac vessels to enter the suspensory ligament where they reach the ovaries (fig. 4). The ovarian veins drain the ovaries and the right ovarian vein enters the inferior venacava (IVC) below the renal vein, while the left ovarian vein drains into the left renal vein.
Lymphatics;
The lymphatic drainage of the ovaries is to the para-aortic lymph nodes at the level of L2 vertebra. Generally there are three primary routes of lymphatic drainage into the retroperitoneal lymph nodes.
- Vessels that ascend along the ovarian vessels to nodes between bifurcation of aorta and the renal arteries.
- Vessels that travels laterally toward the lateral and posterior body wall and ends in the hypogastric nodes, which finally drain along the common iliac vessels to para-aortic.
- Vessels that travel around round ligament into the external iliac and inguinal lymph nodes.
These drainage systems provide routes for spread of ovarian cancer into lymphatic system
Nerve supply of the ovaries comes partly from ovarian plexus and partly from the uterine plexus, at the level of 10th thoracic vertebra.
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(Copyright © 2011 by U. Bala)
(Copyright © 2011 by U. Bala)