Dorsal artery of the penis

Last revised by Daniel J Bell on 3 May 2022

The dorsal artery of the penis is one of the two terminal branches of the internal pudendal artery

Gross anatomy

Origin

The internal pudendal artery bifurcates into the deep artery of the penis and the dorsal artery of the penis at the anterior margin of the perineal membrane 1.

Termination
  • the dorsal artery of the penis pierces the perineal membrane before coursing between the crura of the penis and the pubic symphysis to pierce the suspensory ligament of the penis
  • it courses towards the glans penis in the plane between the deep fascia and the fibrous sheaths of the corpora cavernosa
  • lies between the deep dorsal vein of the penis medially and the dorsal nerves laterally. The neurovascular bundle is adherent to the deep fascia of the penis 1,3.
Anastomosis
  • forms an anastomosis with the terminal branches of the artery to the bulb of the penis at the level of the glans penis 1,3
  • forms an anastomosis with the superficial penile arteries (branches of the external pudendal artery that supply the superficial skin) at the level of the coronal sulcus 2
Supply
  • glans penis
  • skin of the penis
  • corpus spongiosum (via anastomosis to the artery to the bulb)
  • some contribution to the penile urethra (via anastomosis to the artery to the bulb) 1,3

Variant anatomy

ADVERTISEMENT: Supporters see fewer/no ads

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.