THE VASCULAR ORGANIZATION OF THE HUMAN PA MPINIFORM PLEXUS AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN ANTEGRADE SCLEROTHERAPY OF THE VARICOCELE TESTIS

The vascular organization of human spermatic cord was analyzed by mean s of injection and by casting preparation of the testicular artery and veins of the pampiniform plexus after orchiectomy. After leaving the human testis, the testicular veins are organized in two main groups an d form two vein plexus. One of these vein groups forms a tight plexus around the testicular artery. Computer-aided 3-D reconstructions based on the paraffin serial sections of the human spermatic cord allowed u s to demonstrate the relation between the blood vessels and the other tissue structures of the spermatic cord. The results obtained allowed us to subdivide the human spermatic cord into three compartments. The dorsomedial compartment contains the vas deferens and its blood vessel s. The middle compartment contains the testicular artery and the vein group which forms a tight plexus around this artery. The ventrolateral compartment contains a vein group which shows no topographic relation to the testicular artery. This vein group is embedded in a large, mac roscopically visible volume of fatty tissue. To be sure of sparing the testicular artery during antegrade sclerotherapy this vein group shou ld be prepared.