Scrotum

Scrotum is male external genital organ. It is a cutaneous bag hanging outside the body, which contains testis, epididymis and part of spermatic cord. Scrotum helps in maintaining temperature of the testis. In healthy individual the scrotum contracts, becomes corrugated and helps in bringing testis towards the body to raise the temperature of the testis on exposure to cold. Normally the testis temperature is maintained 2 degrees below the normal body temperature. Dartos muscle helps in contraction of the scrotum.

Follow up:

Description and layers of testis
Scrotum is a outpouching of the anterior abdominal wall located in the urogenital triangle.
Scrotum is divided into right and left compartment by median vertical septum and the compartments contain right and left testis respectively. Externally the division of the compartments is marked by the raphe, which continues anteriorly (forwards) on to the ventral surface of the penis and posteriorly (backwards) along the midline of the perineum to the anus.

Layers of the scrotal wall from outside to inside

  • Skin
  • Superficial fascia
    1. Dartos muscle – smooth muscle replacing Camper’s fascia (fatty layer) of the abdomen. It is responsible for the wrinkled appearance of the scrotum
    2. Colles’ fascia is the continuation of Scarpa’s fascia (membranous layer) of the abdomen.
  • External spermatic fascia
  • Cremasteric fascia
  • Internal spermatic fascia
  • Tunica vaginalis

Blood Supply
The subcutaneous plexuses and arteriovenous anastomoses promote heat loss and help in controlling temperature of the testes.

Arteries

  1. posterior scrotal arteries – from perineal branch of internal pudendal artery
  2. anterior scrotal arteries - from external pudendal branches of femoral artery
  3. cremasteric branch of inferior epigastric artery

Veins – accompany corresponding arteries

Lymphatic Drainage – superficial inguinal nodes

Nerve Supply
Anterior one third is supplied of L1 segment of spinal cord and posterior two third is supplied by S3. As the scrotum is supplied by widely separated dermatomes the spinal anesthesia of the whole scrotum is difficult to achieve.

  1. genital branch of genitofemoral nerve supplies anterolateral surface
  2. anterior scrotal nerves from ilioinguinal nerve supplies anterior surface
  3. posterior scrotal nerves from perineal branch of pudendal nerve supplies posterior surface
  4. perineal branches of posterior femoral cutaneous nerve supplies inferior surface