The urinary bladder is an unusual organ in that its normal function
includes filling and emptying with alternating changes in internal
pressure. Although fluctuations in blood flow to the bladder wall are
known to accompany these changes, detailed descriptions of the bladder
microvasculature are sparse. The present study uses vascular corrosion
casting and scanning electron microscopy to describe the three-dimensional
anatomy of the microvasculature of the urinary bladder of the dog.
Specialized features of that microvasculature, including collateral
circulation, vessel folding, vessel orientation, the presence of valves
and sphincters, and mucosal capillary density, that may enhance and
control blood flow during normal bladder function, are described and
discussed.