Microvasculature of the urinary bladder of the dog: a study using vascular corrosion casting

The urinary bladder is an unusual organ in that its normal function includes filling and emptying with alternating changes in internal pressure. Although fluctuations in blood flow to the bladder wall are known to accompany these changes, detailed descriptions of the bladder microvasculature are sparse. The present study uses vascular corrosion casting and scanning electron microscopy to describe the three-dimensional anatomy of the microvasculature of the urinary bladder of the dog. Specialized features of that microvasculature, including collateral circulation, vessel folding, vessel orientation, the presence of valves and sphincters, and mucosal capillary density, that may enhance and control blood flow during normal bladder function, are described and discussed.