A cadaveric study of the testicular artery in the South Indian population

The male gonadal arteries, namely the testicular arteries, may vary at their origin and arise from the renal artery, suprarenal artery or lumbar artery. They may also be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled and may arise as a common trunk. With the advent of new intra-abdominal operative and laparoscopic techniques, the anatomy of the gonadal vessels has assumed much more importance. Therefore, a study was designed to assess the percentage of normal and aberrant origin and course of the testicular artery in the Indian population.

The posterior abdominal walls of 34 male cadavers (68 sides) were dissected and studied for the variations in the origin and course of the testicular arteries.

In 85.3 percent of the cases, the male gonadal artery was normal in origin, number and course. However, in the remaining 14.7 percent, various anomalies in the testicular artery were noted.

The variations in the testicular arteries are attributed to their embryological origin. A deep knowledge of these variations and their relations to the adjacent structures is very important in avoiding the complications in operative surgery.