Cardiovascular system · Pelvis · Female
Ovarian artery !
The ovarian artery comes from the aorta and runs down to the ovary in its suspensory ligament; it is the ovary's main blood supply.
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What it is
A long thin artery from the aorta, just below the kidney arteries, that runs down into the suspensory ligament to the ovary.
What it does
The main supply of the ovary; it joins the uterine artery near the tube.
Key facts
- Origin
- Abdominal aorta at about L2, just below the renal arteries
- Branches
- Ureteric branches; tubal branches; ovarian branches anastomosing with the uterine artery in the broad ligament
- Supplies
- Ovary and lateral uterine tube; runs on psoas, crosses the ureter and external iliac vessels, enters the suspensory ligament of the ovary
Relations
- Course
- Retroperitoneal in the abdomen (the right artery passes in front of the inferior vena cava); in the pelvis it runs in the suspensory ligament of ovary, then through the mesovarium to the hilum of the ovary, sending tubal branches through the mesosalpinx
- Behind
- Psoas major and the ureter, which it crosses obliquely in the abdomen
- In front
- Parietal peritoneum; on the right the terminal ileum, on the left the sigmoid colon and its mesentery
- Medial
- At the pelvic brim, the ureter descending into the pelvis
How to find it
It cannot be felt. At laparoscopy it lies in the infundibulopelvic ligament, the peritoneal fold from the pelvic brim to the upper pole of the ovary; Doppler ultrasound shows its branches at the ovarian hilum.
On imaging
In ovarian torsion, Doppler may still show flow because the ovary has a dual supply (ovarian and uterine arteries), so normal flow does not rule torsion out; a twisted pedicle can look like a whirlpool.
Common problems
- Twisting of the ovary (torsion) cuts off its flow.
Treatment
- Tied with the suspensory ligament when the ovary is removed.
Clinical notes
- Ureteric injury at the pelvic brim is a recognised complication of clamping the infundibulopelvic ligament
- Ovarian cancer spreads along the lymphatics that follow this artery to the para-aortic nodes, which are sampled in surgical staging
Anatomical variants
- It occasionally arises from a renal or accessory renal artery, or higher on the aorta
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Where does the ovarian artery arise, and why?
High on the aorta, just below the renal arteries, because the ovary develops on the posterior abdominal wall and descends with its vessels.
In which ligament does the ovarian artery reach the ovary?
The suspensory (infundibulopelvic) ligament of the ovary, clamped and divided in oophorectomy.
Why does normal Doppler flow not rule out ovarian torsion?
The ovary has a dual supply from the ovarian and uterine arteries.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- arteria ovarica TA2 4285
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Arteria ovárica
- English (TA2)
- Ovarian artery
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Ovary.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
