Prostatic utricle explained

Prostatic utricle
Latin:	utriculus prostaticus, utriculus masculinus, vagina masculina, sinus pocularis
Precursor:	Paramesonephric ducts

The prostatic utricle (Latin for "small pouch of the prostate") is a small indentation in the prostatic urethra, at the apex of the urethral crest, on the seminal colliculus (verumontanum), laterally flanked by openings of the ejaculatory ducts. It is also known as the vagina masculina, uterus masculinus or (in older literature) vesicula prostatica.^[1]

Structure

It is often described as "blind", meaning that it is a duct that does not lead to any other structures.^[2] It tends to be about one cm in length.^[3] It can sometimes be enlarged.^{[4] [5]} The utricle is deemed enlarged if it allows insertion of a cystoscope at least 2 cm deep.^[6] This is often associated with hypospadias.^[7]

Function

The prostatic utricle is a remnant that is homologous to the female uterus (including the cervix) and vagina, usually described as derived from the paramesonephric ducts,^[8] although this is occasionally disputed.^[9]

In 1905, Robert William Taylor described the function of the utricle: "In coitus it so contracts that it draws upon the openings of the ejaculatory ducts, and thus renders them so patulous that the semen readily passes through."^[10]

See also

• List of related male and female reproductive organs

Further reading

• Male vagina is a more accurate term than prostatic utricle . International Journal of Urology . Puppo . Vincenzo . October 11, 2015 . Puppo . Giulia.

External links

• "The Male Pelvis: The Prostate Gland"

Notes and References

1. Book: The diseases of the prostate . Henry Thompson . 1883 . J&A Churchill.
2. Book: Applied Radiological Anatomy. Butler. Paul. Cambridge University Press. 1999. 9780521481106. 286. Mitchell. Adam W. M.. Ellis. Harold. illustrated.
3. Book: Cunningham, Daniel John. Manual of Practical Anatomy: Thorax and abdomen. Oxford University Press. 1968. University of Michigan. 238. 13th. 2.
4. Meisheri IV, Motiwale SS, Sawant VV . Surgical management of enlarged prostatic utricle . Pediatr. Surg. Int. . 16 . 3 . 199–203 . 2000 . 10786981 . 10.1007/s003830050722. 194522 .
5. Lopatina OA, Berry TT, Spottswood SE . Giant prostatic utricle (utriculus masculinis): diagnostic imaging and surgical implications . Pediatr Radiol . 34 . 2 . 156–159 . 2004 . 12961046 . 10.1007/s00247-003-1048-9. 37893438 .
6. Book: Pediatric Andrology. Kogan. S.J.. Springer Science & Business Media. 2012. 9789401037198. 188. Hafez. E.S.. illustrated. Clinics in Andrology. 7.
7. Book: Al-Salem, Ahmed H.. An Illustrated Guide to Pediatric Urology. Springer. 2016. 9783319441825. 446.
8. Kawashima . A. . Sandler, C. M. . Wasserman, N. F. . LeRoy, A. J. . King, B. F. . Goldman, S. M. . Imaging of Urethral Disease: A Pictorial Review . Radiographics . 1 October 2004 . 24 . suppl_1 . S195–S216 . 10.1148/rg.24si045504. 15486241 . 28296852 .
9. Shapiro E, Huang H, McFadden DE, etal . The prostatic utricle is not a Müllerian duct remnant: immunohistochemical evidence for a distinct urogenital sinus origin . J. Urol. . 172 . 4 Pt 2 . 1753–1756; discussion 1756 . 2004 . 15371806 . 10.1097/01.ju.0000140267.46772.7d.
10. R. W. Taylor. "A practical treatise on sexual disorders of the male and female". New York and Philadelphia, 1897; 3rd edition, 1905. p. 48