Pelvic venous plexus

Looks like

A net of thin-walled veins around the bladder, rectum and womb.

What it does

Drain the pelvis to the great vein of the belly.

Keeping it well

Move in pregnancy and after surgery; clots can start here, especially in pregnancy and after pelvic operations.

Its parts

• Iliolumbar vein
• Inferior gluteal vein
• Internal pudendal vein
• Median sacral vein
• Superior gluteal vein
• Tributary of internal pudendal vein

Related conditions

• Bone metastases and spinal cord compression
• Chronic venous insufficiency
• Clotting disorders (thrombophilia & APS)
• Deep vein thrombosis
• Prostate cancer
• Varicose veins