Cardiovascular system · Lower limb
Gluteal veins !
The gluteal veins drain blood from the buttock back into the pelvis, running beside the gluteal arteries.
Official name: Superior gluteal veins
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What it is
Veins that run with the gluteal arteries.
What it does
Drain blood from the buttock into the internal iliac vein.
Key facts
- Drains
- Gluteal region; superior and inferior gluteal veins accompany their arteries
- Into
- Internal iliac vein
Relations
- Course
- The superior gluteal veins follow the superior artery above the piriformis and the inferior gluteal veins the inferior artery below it; both join the internal iliac vein on the pelvic side wall
- Superficial
- The gluteus maximus; below the piriformis the inferior veins lie near the sciatic nerve
How to find it
Not palpable. They leave the pelvis beside their arteries: the superior gluteal veins at a point a third of the way down a line drawn between the posterior superior iliac spine and the upper corner of the greater trochanter, the inferior gluteal veins lower down, below the piriformis at the bottom of the greater sciatic foramen.
On imaging
Rarely assessed on their own. Contrast CT or MR venography shows them as paired vessels alongside the gluteal arteries, above and below the piriformis. In pelvic trauma, a large haematoma with no arterial contrast blush on CT angiography suggests venous or bony bleeding, which embolization does not address. Routine leg duplex ultrasound does not reach them.
Clinical notes
- Torn at the greater sciatic notch, they can retract into the pelvis and bleed heavily
- Pelvic venous reflux can reach the buttock and the back of the thigh through the gluteal veins and cause varicose veins in unusual places
- In gluteal artery perforator flaps the two thin-walled veins of the perforator carry the outflow and are joined to recipient veins in the chest; they tear easily during dissection
Anatomical variants
- The internal iliac vein that receives them follows the usual pattern in about 79% of people; the rest show doubling or unusual junctions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Into which vein do the gluteal veins drain?
Into the internal iliac vein on the pelvic side wall, entering through the greater sciatic foramen above and below the piriformis.
Why do pelvic binding and packing matter in pelvic fractures, not only arterial embolization?
Most bleeding is venous or from bone (internal iliac tributaries such as the gluteal veins and the sacral venous plexus).
Why is a gluteal vein torn at the greater sciatic notch dangerous?
It can retract into the pelvis and bleed heavily.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- venae gluteae superiores; venae gluteae inferiores TA2 5025
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Venas glúteas superiores e inferiores
- English (TA2)
- Superior gluteal veins
- Also called
- venae glutaeae superiores · venae glutaeae craniales
Related
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis: Veins; Anatomy of the Human Body (20th ed.): Surface Markings of the Lower Extremity (Lea & Febiger (Gray's Anatomy, 1918), 1918) · adapted, Public domain.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
