Female Pelvis (MRI) - Atlas of Cross-Sectional Human Anatomy

• Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable technique for noninvasive evaluation of the female pelvic region (like diagnosing or staging developmental anomalies, leiomyomas, adenomyosis, vaginal neoplasms, endometrial or cervical carcinoma, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, teratomas, polycystic ovaries or other ovarian masses), but also for the study of the normal anatomy of the female pelvis.
• In this anatomical study, we provide to the user a friendly and dynamic tool to learn and understand the main anatomic structures of the female pelvis.
  

Cross sectional anatomy: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the female pelvic region

• An MR was performed on a healthy woman with two kinds of weightings: axial, coronal and sagittal spin-echo T2-weighted MR images and axial spin-echo gadolinium-enhanced fat-saturated T1-weighted MR images.
• DICOM images (from our PACS (Picture Archiving and Communicating System)) were exported as jpeg format and resized with Adobe Photoshop.
• Interactive anatomical tools have been developed with the software Macromedia Flash.
• This anatomical atlas has been especially designed for radiologists, gynecologists, medical students and residents.
  

Anatomy of the human female pelvis: how to use anatomic labels

• The horizontal top menu (anatomical structures) allows to the user to chose the kind of anatomical labels he need to show on the exam :
  • Genital organs : uterus (with uterine zonal anatomy : endometrium, myometrium, junctional zone), cervix (central zone, cervical stroma), parametria, vagina, ovaries and adnexa with follicles
  • Urinary system including urinary bladder, ureter, urethra
  • Digestive system including rectum and sigmoid colon
  • Pelvic diaphragm
  • Pelvic girdle
  • Spaces and foramens of the pelvic region
  • Muscles
  • Arteries
  • Veins
  • Nerves
  • Pelvic measurement

• The user is able to choose one of the three planes of interest (axial, coronal or sagittal) with the left vertical menu, which provides also cross references.
• As the cursor is moved over a particular anatomic area of the pelvic region, this region is highlighted and labeled: peritoneal cavity, subperitoneal space and perineal region.

• Acetabulum - Acetabulum
• Adductor brevis - M. adductor brevis
• Adductor longus - M. adductor longus
• Adductor magnus - M. adductor magnus
• Ala of ilium; Wing of ilium - Ala ossis ilii
• Ala; Wing - Ala ossis sacri
• Anal canal - Canalis analis
• Anatomical structures - Anatomical structures
• Anococcygeal body; Anococcygeal ligament - Corpus anococcygeum; Lig. anococcygeum
• Anorectal flexure; Perineal flexure - Flexura anorectalis; Flexura perinealis
• Anterior inferior iliac spine - Spina iliaca anterior inferior
• Anterior part - Pars anterior (Vaginal fornix - Fornix vaginae)
• Anterior sacral foramina - Foramina sacralia anteriora
• Anterior wall - Paries anterior
• Antero-posterior diameter of pelvic inlet (13 cm) - Antero-posterior diameter of pelvic inlet (11 cm)
• Antero-posterior diameter of pelvic outlet (10 cm) - Antero-posterior diameter of pelvic outlet (10 cm)
• Apex of bladder - Apex vesicae
• Arcuate line - Linea arcuata
• Arteries - Arteriae
• Body of bladder - Corpus vesicae
• Body of ilium - Corpus ossis ilii
• Body of uterus - Corpus uteri
• Bulbospongiosus - M. bulbospongiosus
• Caecum - Caecum
• Clitoris - Clitoris
• Deep transverse perineal muscle - M. transversus perinei profundus
• Descending colon - Colon descendens
• Diagrams - Diagrams
• Digestive system - Digestive system
• Endometrium - Tunica mucosa; Endometrium
• External anal sphincter - M. sphincter ani externus
• External iliac artery - Arteria iliaca externa
• External iliac vein - Vena iliaca externa
• External oblique - M. obliquus externus abdominis
• External urethral orifice - Ostium urethrae externum
• External urethral sphincter female - M. sphincter urethrae externus
• Fundus of bladder - Fundus vesicae
• Fundus of uterus - Fundus uteri
• Gemellus inferior; Inferior gemellus - M. gemellus inferior
• Gemellus superior; Superior gemellus - M. gemellus superior
• Genital organs - Genital organs
• Gluteus maximus - M. gluteus maximus
• Gluteus medius - M. gluteus medius
• Gluteus minimus - M. gluteus minimus
• Greater sciatic foramen - Foramen - Foramen ischiadicum majus
• Greater trochanter - Trochanter major
• Head - Caput femoris
• Hide - Hide
• Ileum - Ileum
• Iliacus - M. iliacus
• Iliococcygeus - M. iliococcygeus (Levator ani - M. levator ani)
• Inferior gluteal artery - A. glutea inferior
• Inferior gluteal vein - V. gluteae inferiore
• Inferior pubic ramus - Ramus inferior ossis pubis
• Inguinal ligament - Lig. inguinale; Arcus inguinalis
• Internal iliac artery - Arteria iliaca interna
• Internal iliac vein - Vena iliaca interna
• Internal oblique - M. obliquus internus abdominis
• Internal pudendal artery - A. pudenda interna
• Internal pudendal vein - V. pudenda interna
• Internal urethral orifice - Ostium urethrae internum
• Ischial spine - Spina ischiadica
• Ischial tuberosity - Tuber ischiadicum
• Ischioanal fossa - Fossa ischioanalis
• Ischiocavernosus - M. ischiocavernosus
• Ischiococcygeus; Coccygeus - M. ischiococcygeus; M. coccygeus
• Isthmus of uterus - Isthmus uteri
• Junctional zone - Junctional zone
• L5 - L5
• Labium majus - Labium majus pudendi
• Labium minus - Labium minus pudendi
• Lateral part - Pars lateralis (Vaginal fornix - Fornix vaginae)
• Left ovarian vein - V. ovarica sinistra
• Lesser sciatic foramen - Foramen - Foramen ischiadicum minus
• Lesser trochanter - Trochanter minor
• Linea alba - Linea alba
• Mons pubis - Mons pubis
• Muscles - Musculi
• Myometrium - Tunica muscularis; Myometrium
• Neck - Collum femoris
• Neck of bladder - Cervix vesicae; Collum vesicae
• Nerves - Nerves
• Obturator artery - A. obturatoria
• Obturator canal - Canalis obturatorius
• Obturator externus - M. obturatorius externus
• Obturator foramen - Foramen - Foramen obturatum
• Obturator internus - M. obturatorius internus
• Obturator membrane - Membrana obturatoria
• Obturator vein - V. obturatoriae
• Ovarian artery - A. ovarica
• Ovary - Ovarium
• Parametrium - Parametrium
• Pararectal fossa - Fossa pararectalis
• Pectineus - M. pectineus
• Pelvic diaphragm; Pelvic floor - Diaphragma pelvis
• Pelvic girdle - Cingulum pelvicum; Cingulum membri inferioris
• Pelvic measurements - Pelvic measurements
• Perineal fascia; Superficial investing fascia of perineum; Deep perineal fascia - Fascia perinei; Fascia investiens perinei superficialis
• Perineal membrane - Membrana perinei
• Perineal region - Regio perinealis
• Peritoneal cavity - Cavitas peritonealis
• Piriformis - M. piriformis
• Posterior inferior iliac spine - Spina iliaca posterior inferior
• Posterior part - Pars posterior (Vaginal fornix - Fornix vaginae)
• Posterior wall - Paries posterior
• Promontory - Promontorium
• Psoas major - M. psoas major
• Pubic symphysis - Symphysis pubica
• Pubic tubercle - Tuberculum pubicum
• Puborectalis - M. puborectalis (Levator ani - M. levator ani)
• Pudendal canal - Canalis pudendalis
• Pudendal nerve - N. pudendus
• Quadratus femoris - M. quadratus femoris
• Rectouterine pouch female - Excavatio rectouterina female
• Rectovaginal fascia; Rectovaginal septum female - Fascia rectovaginalis; Septum rectovaginale female
• Rectum - Rectum
• Rectus abdominis - M. rectus abdominis
• Rectus femoris - M. rectus femoris
• Retropubic space - Spatium retropubicum
• Round ligament of uterus - Lig. teres uteri
• Sacral plexus - Plexus sacralis
• Sacrospinous ligament - Lig. sacrospinale
• Sacrotuberous ligament - Lig. sacrotuberale
• Sacrum - Os sacrum
• Sartorius - M. sartorius
• Sciatic nerve - N. ischiadicus
• Sigmoid colon - Colon sigmoideum
• Spaces / Foramina - Spaces / Foramina
• Subperitoneal space - Subperitoneal space
• Superior gluteal artery - A. glutea superior
• Superior gluteal vein - V. gluteae superiore
• Superior pubic ramus - Ramus superior ossis pubis
• Supravaginal part - Portio supravaginalis cervicis
• Suspensory ligament of ovary; Infundibulopelvic ligament female - Lig. suspensorium ovarii female
• T1 - T1
• T2 - T2
• Transverse diameter of pelvic inlet (13 cm) - Transverse diameter of pelvic inlet (13 cm)
• Transverse diameter of pelvic outlet (11 cm) - Transverse diameter of pelvic outlet (11 cm)
• Transversus abdominis; Transverse abdominal - M. transversus abdominis
• Trigone of bladder - Trigonum vesicae
• Umbilical artery - A. umbilicalis
• Ureter - Ureter
• Ureteric orifice - Ostium ureteris
• Urethra - Urethra
• Uretrovaginal space - Uretrovaginal space
• Urinary bladder - Vesica urinaria
• Urinary system - Urinary system
• Uterine artery - A. uterina
• Uterine horn - Cornu uteri
• Uterine tube - Tuba uterina; Salpinx
• Uterine veins - Vv. Uterinae
• Uterosacral ligament; Rectouterine ligament - Lig. rectouterinum
• Vagina - Vagina
• Vaginal part - Portio vaginalis cervicis
• Veins - Vena
• Vesical veins - Vv. vesicales
• Vesicouterine pouch female - Excavatio vesicouterina female
• Vesicovaginal space - Vesicovaginal space
• Vestibule - Vestibulum vaginae
• Weightings - Weightings