The arterial supply, venous drainage, and (where the lecture specifies it) lymphatic drainage for every organ across Endocrine, GI, Female Reproductive, Male Reproductive, and Nephrology/Urinary — plus the special sequential "flow chains" (nephron blood flow, hepatic portal system, hypophyseal portal system) worth memorizing as a single path.
| Structure | Arterial supply | Venous drainage | Lymphatic drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thyroid gland | Superior thyroid a. (from external carotid a.) to the apex; inferior thyroid a. (from the thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian a.) related to the recurrent laryngeal nerve; rare thyroidea ima a. variant to the isthmus (arch of aorta or brachiocephalic a.) | Superior & middle thyroid veins → internal jugular vein; inferior thyroid vein → brachiocephalic vein | Paratracheal nodes and deep cervical nodes (inferior to the omohyoid m.), via vessels in the interlobular connective tissue → thoracic duct & right lymphatic duct |
| Parathyroid glands | Share the same blood, lymphatic, and nerve supply as the thyroid gland (superior/inferior thyroid vessels) — they aren't given their own separate supply. | ||
| Pituitary gland | Superior hypophyseal a. (to adenohypophysis, via portal system) and inferior hypophyseal a. (directly to neurohypophysis) — see flow box above | Hypophyseal veins → dural venous sinuses (cavernous sinus is directly adjacent on either side of the gland) | — |
| Pancreas (head) | Superior pancreaticoduodenal a. (from the gastroduodenal a., a common hepatic a. branch) + inferior pancreaticoduodenal a. (from the SMA) — each splits into anterior/posterior branches | Corresponding pancreaticoduodenal veins → SMV / portal vein | Follows the arterial supply to pancreaticosplenic/celiac nodes → ultimately the cisterna chyli |
| Pancreas (body & tail) | Splenic a. (celiac trunk branch) — runs right to left along the upper margin of the body/tail, giving pancreatic branches | Splenic v. (posterior surface, parallel to the artery) → joins SMV & IMV → portal vein | |
| Adrenal (suprarenal) glands | Triple supply: superior suprarenal a. (from the inferior phrenic a.), middle suprarenal a. (directly off the abdominal aorta), inferior suprarenal a. (from the renal a.) | Asymmetric: right suprarenal vein → IVC directly; left suprarenal vein → left renal vein first | — |
| Structure | Arterial supply | Venous drainage | Lymphatic drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Esophagus (abdominal) | Inferior thyroid a. (thyrocervical trunk), branches of the descending thoracic aorta, left gastric a. (celiac trunk), and the left inferior phrenic a. (abdominal aorta) | Both the azygos vein (systemic) and the left gastric vein (portal, via the portal vein) — a classic portosystemic anastomosis site | Both thoracic (mediastinal) nodes and abdominal (celiac) lymphatics |
| Stomach, duodenum (proximal), liver, spleen, pancreas (foregut) | Celiac trunk (off the aorta at the aortic hiatus) → left gastric a. (lesser curvature), splenic a. (pancreas, spleen), common hepatic a. → proper hepatic a. (right/left hepatic, cystic) + gastroduodenal a. (supraduodenal, right gastric) | Left/right gastric veins → portal vein directly or via splenic/SMV confluence; splenic vein → portal vein | Celiac nodes → cisterna chyli |
| Jejunum, ileum, cecum, appendix, ascending & proximal transverse colon (midgut) | Superior mesenteric artery (SMA) — unpaired aortic branch | Superior mesenteric vein (SMV) → joins splenic vein → portal vein | Superior mesenteric nodes → cisterna chyli |
| Distal transverse, descending & sigmoid colon, rectum (hindgut) | Inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) — unpaired aortic branch | Inferior mesenteric vein → typically joins the splenic vein → portal vein | Inferior mesenteric nodes → cisterna chyli |
| Liver | Triple blood supply: portal vein (majority of flow, nutrient-rich, needs processing) + hepatic artery (~15% of flow, "biliary artery," supplies bile ducts) → sinusoids → central vein → hepatic veins → IVC. See flow box above. | ||
| Spleen | Splenic a. (celiac trunk branch, runs along the pancreas) | Splenic vein → joins SMV to help form the portal vein | — |
| Inferior vena cava (IVC) | Formed by the union of the common iliac veins; receives (ascending) lumbar veins, renal veins, right gonadal & right suprarenal veins directly, hepatic veins, and inferior phrenic veins. Left gonadal/suprarenal veins drain into the left renal vein first, not directly into the IVC. | ||
| Structure | Arterial supply | Venous drainage | Lymphatic drainage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ovary | Ovarian a. — direct branch of the abdominal aorta, enters via the suspensory ligament and sends branches through the mesovarium | Via the pampiniform plexus: right ovarian vein → IVC directly; left ovarian vein → left renal vein first | Follows the ovarian vessels up to the lumbar (para-aortic) nodes |
| Uterus | Uterine a. (from the internal iliac a.) anastomosing with the ovarian a. | Uterine venous plexus → internal iliac veins | Mainly internal/external iliac and lumbar nodes (varies by uterine region) |
| Uterine (fallopian) tubes | Ovarian a. and uterine a. (anastomotic supply, matching their position between ovary and uterus) | Ovarian and uterine venous routes | Lumbar nodes (follows the ovarian vessels) |
| Vagina | Uterine a., vaginal a., and pudendal a. branches | Vaginal venous plexus → internal iliac veins | By thirds: superior third → internal/external iliac nodes; middle third → internal iliac nodes; inferior third → sacral/common iliac nodes and superficial inguinal nodes |
| Breast (medial quadrants) | Perforating branches (2nd, 3rd, 4th) of the internal thoracic a. + anterior intercostal a. branches | Veins follow the corresponding arteries | Mostly to the axilla — pectoral (anterior) nodes first (drains most of the breast), then subscapular (posterior), lateral, and central nodes, up to the infra-/supraclavicular nodes; some drainage also crosses to the opposite side |
| Breast (lateral quadrants) | Pectoral branches of the thoracoacromial a. (off the axillary a.) + the external mammary branch of the lateral thoracic a. | Veins follow the corresponding arteries |
| Structure | Arterial supply | Venous drainage | Lymphatic / nerve notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Testis | Testicular a. — direct branch of the abdominal aorta, travels the length of the spermatic cord | Via the pampiniform plexus → testicular vein: right → IVC directly; left → left renal vein first (mirrors the ovarian pattern) | Ilioinguinal & genitofemoral nerves also run in the spermatic cord alongside the vessels |
| Ductus deferens | Deferential a. — a separate named vessel of the spermatic cord (distinct from the testicular a.) | Small veins accompanying the deferential artery | — |
| Scrotum | Internal pudendal a. (branch of the internal iliac a.), external pudendal a. (branch of the femoral a.), and inferior epigastric a. (branch of the external iliac a.) | Corresponding pudendal/epigastric veins | Sensory/motor via the hypogastric plexus, ilioinguinal, genitofemoral, and pudendal nerves |
| Penis | Internal pudendal a. branches: deep artery of the penis (runs centrally through each corpus cavernosum) and the dorsal artery (superficial, alongside the dorsal vein & nerve) | Dorsal vein (superficial) and deep venous channels from the corpora cavernosa/spongiosum | — |
| Structure | Arterial supply | Venous drainage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kidney | Renal a. — direct branch of the abdominal aorta; the renal plexus (autonomics) accompanies it and enters at the hilum | Renal vein → IVC. Left renal vein additionally receives the left gonadal vein (which has no direct IVC route) | See the full nephron flow-chain above — this is the pathway worth memorizing step by step |
| Ureter | Segmental branches from the renal a., abdominal aorta, gonadal a., and (distally) the internal iliac a., depending on level | Corresponding segmental veins | Sensory: T12–L2 nerve roots (extremely pain-sensitive); parasympathetic via pelvic splanchnic nerves. Crosses anterior to the common iliac artery and passes deep/inferior to the testicular or ovarian vessels ("water under the bridge") |
| Urinary bladder | Aorta → common iliac → internal iliac → anterior division → superior & inferior vesical arteries | Vesical venous plexus → internal iliac veins → IVC | Detrusor muscle innervation involves the hypogastric nerve (sympathetic) and pelvic nerve (parasympathetic); external urethral sphincter via the pudendal nerve (voluntary) |