Batson venous plexus

Last updated
Batson venous plexus
Details
Identifiers
Latin plexus Batsoni
Anatomical terminology

The Batson venous plexus (Batson veins) is a network of valveless veins in the human body that connect the deep pelvic veins and thoracic veins (draining the inferior end of the urinary bladder, breast and prostate) to the internal vertebral venous plexuses. [1] Because of their location and lack of valves, they are believed to provide a route for the spread of cancer metastases. [2] [3] [4] These metastases commonly arise from cancer of the pelvic organs such as the rectum [5] and prostate [6] and may spread to the vertebral column or brain. [7] [8] The plexus is named after anatomist Oscar Vivian Batson, who first described it in 1940. [2] Batson's plexus is part of the Cerebrospinal venous system.

Batson's venous plexus may also allow the spread of infection in a similar manner. neuroschistomiasis [9] , Urinary tract infections like pyelonephritis have been shown to spread to cause osteomyelitis of the vertebrae via this route. The osteomyelitis in such a case will resolve concurrently with the same antibiotic that treats the urinary tract infection because both infections are from the same organism.

Related Research Articles

Prostate Gland of the male reproductive system in most mammals

The prostate is both an accessory gland of the male reproductive system and a muscle-driven mechanical switch between urination and ejaculation. It is found only in some mammals. It differs between species anatomically, chemically, and physiologically. Anatomically, the prostate is found below the bladder, with the urethra passing through it. It is described in gross anatomy as consisting of lobes and in microanatomy by zone. It is surrounded by an elastic, fibromuscular capsule and contains glandular tissue as well as connective tissue.

Prostate cancer Male reproductive organ cancer

Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that surrounds the urethra just below the bladder. Most prostate cancers are slow growing. Cancerous cells may spread to other areas of the body, particularly the bones and lymph nodes. It may initially cause no symptoms. In later stages, symptoms include pain or difficulty urinating, blood in the urine, or pain in the pelvis or back. Benign prostatic hyperplasia may produce similar symptoms. Other late symptoms include fatigue, due to low levels of red blood cells.

Metastasis Spread of a disease inside a body

Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, are metastases (mets). It is generally distinguished from cancer invasion, which is the direct extension and penetration by cancer cells into neighboring tissues.

Ureter Tubes used in the urinary system in most animals

The ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In a human adult, the ureters are usually 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long and around 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter. The ureter is lined by urothelial cells, a type of transitional epithelium, and has an additional smooth muscle layer that assists with peristalsis in its lowest third.

Bladder cancer Urinary system cancer that begins in the urinary bladder

Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become malignant.

Interventional radiology Medical subspecialty

Interventional radiology (IR) is a medical specialty that performs various minimally-invasive procedures using medical imaging guidance, such as x-ray fluoroscopy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, or ultrasound. IR performs both diagnostic and therapeutic procedures through very small incisions or body orifices. Diagnostic IR procedures are those intended to help make a diagnosis or guide further medical treatment, and include image-guided biopsy of a tumor or injection of an imaging contrast agent into a hollow structure, such as a blood vessel or a duct. By contrast, therapeutic IR procedures provide direct treatment—they include catheter-based medicine delivery, medical device placement, and angioplasty of narrowed structures.

Prostatectomy Surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland

Prostatectomy as a medical term refers to the surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland. This operation is done for benign conditions that cause urinary retention, as well as for prostate cancer and for other cancers of the pelvis.

In medicine, the Sister Mary Joseph nodule or more commonly node, also called Sister Mary Joseph sign, refers to a palpable nodule bulging into the umbilicus as a result of metastasis of a malignant cancer in the pelvis or abdomen. Sister Mary Joseph nodules can be painful to palpation.

Marjolins ulcer Medical condition

Marjolin's ulcer refers to an aggressive ulcerating squamous cell carcinoma presenting in an area of previously traumatized, chronically inflamed, or scarred skin. They are commonly present in the context of chronic wounds including burn injuries, varicose veins, venous ulcers, ulcers from osteomyelitis, and post radiotherapy scars.

Internal vertebral venous plexuses

The internal vertebral venous plexuses lie within the vertebral canal in the epidural space, and receive tributaries from the bones and from the spinal cord.

Cervical lymph nodes

Cervical lymph nodes are lymph nodes found in the neck. Of the 800 lymph nodes in the human body, 300 are in the neck. Cervical lymph nodes are subject to a number of different pathological conditions including tumours, infection and inflammation.

Prostatic venous plexus

The prostatic veins form a well-marked prostatic plexus which lies partly in the fascial sheath of the prostate and partly between the sheath and the prostatic capsule. It communicates with the pudendal and vesical plexuses.

Outline of human anatomy Overview of and topical guide to human anatomy

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to human anatomy:

Signet ring cell carcinoma Medical condition

Signet ring cell carcinoma (SRCC) is a rare form of highly malignant adenocarcinoma that produces mucin. It is an epithelial malignancy characterized by the histologic appearance of signet ring cells.

Urologic diseases or conditions include urinary tract infections, kidney stones, bladder control problems, and prostate problems, among others. Some urologic conditions do not affect a person for that long and some are lifetime conditions. Kidney diseases are normally investigated and treated by nephrologists, while the specialty of urology deals with problems in the other organs. Gynecologists may deal with problems of incontinence in women.

Bone metastasis Medical condition

Bone metastases, or osseous metastatic disease, is a category of cancer metastases that results from primary tumor invasion to bone. Bone-originating primary tumors such as osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing's sarcoma are rare. Bone metastases can be classified as osteolytic, osteoblastic, or both. Unlike hematological malignancies that originate in the blood and form non-solid tumors, bone metastases generally arise from epithelial tumors and form a solid mass inside the bone. Bone metastases cause severe pain, characterized by a dull, constant ache with periodic spikes of incident pain.

Neuro-oncology is the study of brain and spinal cord neoplasms, many of which are very dangerous and life-threatening. Among the malignant brain cancers, gliomas of the brainstem and pons, glioblastoma multiforme, and high-grade astrocytoma are among the worst. In these cases, untreated survival usually amounts to only a few months, and survival with current radiation and chemotherapy treatments may extend that time from around a year to a year and a half, possibly two or more, depending on the patient's condition, immune function, treatments used, and the specific type of malignant brain neoplasm. Surgery may in some cases be curative, but, as a general rule, malignant brain cancers tend to regenerate and emerge from remission easily, especially highly malignant cases. In such cases, the goal is to excise as much of the mass and as much of the tumor margin as possible without endangering vital functions or other important cognitive abilities. The Journal of Neuro-Oncology is the longest continuously published journal in the field and serves as a leading reference to those practicing in the area of neuro-oncology.

The cerebrospinal venous system (CSVS) consists of the interconnected venous systems of the brain and the spine.

A lymphocele is a collection of lymphatic fluid within the body not bordered by epithelial lining. It is usually a surgical complication seen after extensive pelvic surgery and is most commonly found in the retroperitoneal space. Spontaneous development is rare.

Cancer pain can be caused by pressure on, or chemical stimulation of, specialised pain-signalling nerve endings called nociceptors, or by damage or illness affecting nerve fibers themselves.

References

  1. Wiltse LL; Fonseca AS; Amster J; Dimartino P; Ravessoud FA. (1993-06-15). "Relationship of the dura, Hofmann's ligaments, Batson's plexus, and a fibrovascular membrane lying on the posterior surface of the vertebral bodies and attaching to the deep layer of the posterior longitudinal ligament. An anatomical, radiologic, and clinical study". Spine. 18 (8): 1030–43. doi:10.1097/00007632-199306150-00013. PMID   8367771.
  2. 1 2 Batson OV (July 1940). "The function of the vertebral veins and their role in the spread of metastasis". Annals of Surgery. 112 (1): 138–49. doi:10.1097/00000658-194007000-00016. PMC   1387927 . PMID   17857618.
  3. Onuigbo WI (1975). "Batson's theory of vertebral venous metastasis: a review". Oncology. 32 (3–4): 145–50. doi:10.1159/000225060. PMID   1221328.
  4. Zeccolini R, Salvi V (April 1981). "Sulla diffusione delle metastasi attraverso il circolo di Batson. (On the spread of metastases through Batson's circle)". La Radiologia Medica. 67 (4): 257–8. PMID   7313162.
  5. Mathew P, Fleming D, Adegboyega PA (August 2000). "Myelophthisis as a solitary manifestation of failure from rectal carcinoma. A Batson phenomenon?". Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine. 124 (8): 1228–30. doi:10.1043/0003-9985(2000)124<1228:MAASMO>2.0.CO;2. PMID   10923090.
  6. Geldof AA (May–Jun 1997). "Models for cancer skeletal metastasis: a reappraisal of Batson's plexus". Anticancer Research. 17 (3A): 1535–9. PMID   9179192.
  7. D'Agostino G, Bigotti A, Pace G (May–Jun 1967). "Importanza del plesso di Batson nella determinazione di metastasi cerebrali isolate. (Importance of Batson's plexus in the determination of isolated cerebral metastases)". Tumori. 53 (3): 237–43. PMID   6051938.
  8. Oneç B, Oksüzoğlu B, Hatipoğlu HG, Oneç K, Azak A, Zengin N (July 2007). "Cavernous sinus syndrome caused by metastatic colon carcinoma". Clinical Colorectal Cancer. 6 (8): 593–6. doi:10.3816/CCC.2007.n.028. PMID   17681107.
  9. Carbonell C, Rodríguez-Alonso B, López-Bernús A, Almeida H, Galindo-Pérez I, Velasco-Tirado V, Marcos M, Pardo-Lledías J, Belhassen-García M. Clinical Spectrum of Schistosomiasis: An Update. J Clin Med. 2021 Nov 25;10(23):5521. doi: 10.3390/jcm10235521. PMID: 34884223; PMCID: PMC8672275.