Quick Facts
Origin: Substance of the penis.
Course: Passes along the dorsal midline, deep to the superficial penile fascia. Passes inferior to the public symphysis and terminates in the prostatic plexus.
Tributaries: Deep veins of penis.
Drainage: Glans penis, corpus spongiosum and corpora cavernosa of body of penis.
Origin
The deep dorsal vein of the penis is formed by a collection of circumflex veins, which pass around the circumference of the penile body, with 3–10 joining the deep dorsal vein along its distal two thirds.
Course
The deep dorsal vein travels on the dorsal aspect of the body of the penis, deep to the subcutaneous tissue (Colles’ fascia) and fascia of the penis (Buck’s fascia). It lies in the dorsal midline groove between the paired corpora cavernosa. Eventually the vein passes inferior to the pubic symphysis at the level of the suspensory ligament of the penis. It terminates by draining into the prostatic plexus.
Engorgement of the erectile tissue bodies of the penis compresses venous outflow, including circumflex and emissary veins and venous plexuses. This blocks blood return (veno-occlusive mechanism) leading to accumulation of blood and penile erection.
Tributaries
The deep dorsal vein of the penis receives deep veins, including the circumflex veins and emissary veins (draining the subalbugineal venous plexus).
Structures Drained
The deep dorsal vein drains the glans penis and the erectile tissues in the distal two thirds of the body of the penis.
