Corpus: Inferior hypogastric plexus

The inferior hypogastric plexus is an autonomic nerve plexus that supplies nerve fibres to the organs of the pelvic cavity.

The inferior hypogastric plexus is located on both sides of the rectum and extends through the pelvis toward the urinary bladder. It contains a mix of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibres, along with ganglion cells.

The plexus receives nerve fibres from several sources:

• Continuation of the ipsilateral superior hypogastric plexus via the hypogastric nerve
• Sympathetic fibres from:
  • Lumbar splanchnic nerves originating from the lumbar portion of the sympathetic trunk (segments L1-L2)
  • Sacral splanchnic nerves from the sacral part of the sympathetic trunk, although these nerves do not originate from the sacral spinal cord itself but from higher segments that form the sympathetic chain.
• Parasympathetic fibres from the pelvic splanchnic nerves (segments S2-S4).

The inferior hypogastric plexus supplies the pelvic organs through its various sub-plexuses:^[1]

• Deferential plexus: supplies the deferent duct and epididymis
• Cystic plexus: supplies the urinary bladder
• Middle rectal plexus: supplies the rectum, including the internal anal sphincter
• Uterovaginal plexus: supplies the uterus, fallopian tubes, and vagina
• Prostatic plexus: supplies the prostate, seminal vesicles, urethra, and corpus cavernosum of the penis

• Aumüller G., Aust G., Doll A., Engele J., et al: Duale Reihe Anatomie. Georg Thieme Verlag 2010, 2nd edition
• Anderhuber et al, Waldeyer - Human Anatomy: Lehrbuch und Atlas in einem Band (De Gruyter Studium) (19th totaly rev. ed.), De Gruyter, 2012
• Reeves et al The Surgical Anatomy of the Prostate, Prostate Cancer (Second Edition), 2016
• Schünke et al. Prometheus. 4th edition, Thieme Verlag, 2015