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Bladder

Normal anatomy

 

Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.

Last revised: 22 June 2010, last major update June 2010

Copyright: (c) 2002-2010, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

 

General

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● Epithelial lined muscular viscus that can distend and hold up to 400-500 ml of urine without a change in intraluminal pressure

● Can also initiate and sustain a contraction until empty

ICD-O-3 coding

 

Parts of bladder

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Apex/dome: most anterosuperior point, site of insertion of median umbilical ligament

Base: posterior surface

Neck: most distal portion of bladder

Trigone: area between ureteral and urethral orifices, continuous with bladder neck

 

Relationship to other structures

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● Located in part within the abdomen in children, enters pelvis major at age 6, found entirely within pelvis minor (“true” or obstetric pelvis) after puberty

● Distended adult bladder may reach level of umbilicus

● Adult bladder rests on rectum and seminal vesicles (males) or cervix and vagina (females); thus cystectomy for tumor may be combined with removal of prostate and seminal vesicles (males) or hysterectomy and partial vaginectomy (females)

● Bladder is relatively free within pelvis (which permits its expansion as it distends), but neck is secured by puboprostatic ligaments (male) and pubovesical ligaments (female)

● Bladder neck occasionally contains prostate ducts (males)

 

Lymphatic drainage:

Internal and external iliac nodes; bladder neck drains to sacral or common iliac nodes

 

Blood supply:

Superior and inferior vesical arteries, derived from internal iliac artery; drained by vesical venous plexus, which empties into internal iliac veins

 

Nerve supply:

Sympathetic from T11-L2 nerves, plays no role in micturition

Parasympathetic from S2-4, travel to bladder via pelvic nerve and inferior hypogastric plexus, cause contraction of muscularis propria fibers, which puts traction on bladder neck, which opens internal sphincter; important in micturition

 

Drawings

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         Figure 18 - Unfortunately we are unable to provide accessible alternative text for this. If you require assistance to access this image, please contact help@nature.com or the author

Position of bladder in male pelvis

 

 

Position of bladder in female pelvis

 

 

  

Interior

 

 Gross description (Macroscopy)

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Hollow viscus resembling inverted pyramid when empty, sphere when distended

 

Gross images

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http://peir2.path.uab.edu/scripts/acdis.dll?cmd=see&fp=/dbif/PEIR/00002021.tif&fmt=jpg&q=100&h=512

Normal bladder with urethritis

 

End of Bladder > Normal Anatomy

 

 

This information is intended for physicians and related personnel, who understand that medical information is often imperfect, and must also be interpreted in the context of a patient's clinical data using reasonable medical judgment.  This website should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a licensed physician.

 

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