Batson venous plexus

{{Infobox vein

| Name = Batson venous plexus

| Latin = plexus Batsoni

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The Batson venous plexus (Batson veins) is a network of valveless veins in the human body that connect the deep pelvic veins and thoracic veins (draining the inferior end of the urinary bladder, breast and prostate) to the internal vertebral venous plexuses.{{cite journal | doi = 10.1097/00007632-199306150-00013 | title = Relationship of the dura, Hofmann's ligaments, Batson's plexus, and a fibrovascular membrane lying on the posterior surface of the vertebral bodies and attaching to the deep layer of the posterior longitudinal ligament. An anatomical, radiologic, and clinical study

|author1=Wiltse LL |author2=Fonseca AS |author3=Amster J |author4=Dimartino P |author5=Ravessoud FA. | journal = Spine

| date = 1993-06-15

| volume = 18

| pages =1030–43 | pmid = 8367771 | issue = 8}} Because of their location and lack of valves, they are believed to provide a route for the spread of cancer metastases.{{cite journal

| title = Batson's theory of vertebral venous metastasis: a review

| author = Onuigbo WI

| journal = Oncology

| year = 1975

| volume = 32

|pages = 145–50

| doi = 10.1159/000225060

| pmid = 1221328

| issue = 3–4}}{{cite journal

| title = Sulla diffusione delle metastasi attraverso il circolo di Batson. (On the spread of metastases through Batson's circle)

|vauthors=Zeccolini R, Salvi V | journal = La Radiologia Medica

| date = April 1981

| volume = 67

| pages = 257–8

| pmid = 7313162

| issue = 4}} These metastases commonly arise from cancer of the pelvic organs such as the rectum{{cite journal

| title = Myelophthisis as a solitary manifestation of failure from rectal carcinoma. A Batson phenomenon?

|vauthors=Mathew P, Fleming D, Adegboyega PA | journal = Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine

| date = August 2000

| volume = 124

| issue = 8

| pages = 1228–30

| doi = 10.5858/2000-124-1228-MAASMO

| pmid = 10923090 }} and prostate{{cite journal

| title = Models for cancer skeletal metastasis: a reappraisal of Batson's plexus

| author = Geldof AA

| journal = Anticancer Research

| date = May–Jun 1997

| volume = 17

| pages = 1535–9

| pmid = 9179192

| issue = 3A}} and may spread to the vertebral column or brain.{{cite journal

| title = Importanza del plesso di Batson nella determinazione di metastasi cerebrali isolate. (Importance of Batson's plexus in the determination of isolated cerebral metastases)

|vauthors=D'Agostino G, Bigotti A, Pace G | journal = Tumori

| date = May–Jun 1967

| volume = 53

| pages = 237–43

| pmid = 6051938

| issue = 3|doi=10.1177/030089166705300305 |s2cid=208180853 }}{{cite journal

| title = Cavernous sinus syndrome caused by metastatic colon carcinoma

|vauthors=Oneç B, Oksüzoğlu B, Hatipoğlu HG, Oneç K, Azak A, Zengin N | journal = Clinical Colorectal Cancer

| date = July 2007

| volume = 6

| pages = 593–6

| doi = 10.3816/CCC.2007.n.028

| pmid = 17681107

| issue = 8}} The plexus is named after anatomist Oscar Vivian Batson, who first described it in 1940.{{cite journal

| doi = 10.1097/00000658-194007000-00016

| title = The function of the vertebral veins and their role in the spread of metastasis

| author = Batson OV

| journal = Annals of Surgery

| date = July 1940

| volume = 112

| pages = 138–49

| pmid = 17857618

| issue = 1

| pmc = 1387927}} Batson's plexus is part of the Cerebrospinal venous system.

Batson's venous plexus may also allow the spread of infection in a similar manner. neuroschistomiasis,{{cite journal|pmid=34884223 |date=2021 |last1=Carbonell |first1=C. |last2=Rodríguez-Alonso |first2=B. |last3=López-Bernús |first3=A. |last4=Almeida |first4=H. |last5=Galindo-Pérez |first5=I. |last6=Velasco-Tirado |first6=V. |last7=Marcos |first7=M. |last8=Pardo-Lledías |first8=J. |last9=Belhassen-García |first9=M. |title=Clinical Spectrum of Schistosomiasis: An Update |journal=Journal of Clinical Medicine |volume=10 |issue=23 |page=5521 |doi=10.3390/jcm10235521 |pmc=8672275 |doi-access=free }} Urinary tract infections like pyelonephritis have been shown to spread to cause osteomyelitis of the vertebrae via this route. The osteomyelitis in such a case will resolve concurrently with the same antibiotic that treats the urinary tract infection because both infections are from the same organism.