Scrotum

It is cutaneous sac, consisting of 2 layers: the heavily pigmented skin and the dartos fascia. The Dartos fascia a fatty-free fascial layer including smooth muscle fibers, is responsible for the pigmentation. When cold, the dartos muscle fibers contract the skin and make the scrotum wrinkle, reducing the surface area of the scrotum and assisting the cremaster muscles in holding the testes closer to the body, thus reducing heat loss. The scrotum is divided internally by a continuation of the dartos fascia in the scrotal septum, into right and left compartments. The septum is demarcated externally by the scrotal raphe.

Layers of scrotum, syntopy

Layers of scrotum

Vasculature & Innervation

• Arterial Supply:
  1. posterior scrotal branches of the perineal artery;
  2. anterior scrotal branches of the deep external pudendal artery
  3. cremasteric artery (branch from inferior epigastric artery).
• Venous drainage: by the venae comitantes of the arteries.
• Lymphatic drainage: into the superficial inguinal lymph nodes.
• Innervation:
  1. genital branch of genitofemoral nerve (suppies anterolateral surface);
  2. anterior scrotal nerves from ilioinguinal nerve (supply anterior surface);
  3. posterior scrotal nerves from perineal nerve from pudendal nerve (supply posterior surface);
  4. perineal branches of the posterior femoral cutaneous nerve (supply inferior surface).

Links

Related articles

• Penis
• Prostate
• Descent of Testis

Bibliography

• MOORE, Keith L – DALLEY, Arthur F. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. 5. edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005. ISBN 0781736390.