pampiniform plexus

A plexus formed in the male by veins from the testicle & epididymis. It consists of 8 or 10 veins lying anterior to the ductus deferens & adjacent to the spermatic cord. In the male, it is a part of the thermoregulatory system of the testes, helping to keep the testes at a constant temperature slightly below core body temperature. In the female, the ovarian veins form this plexus between the layers of the broad ligament.

References

Stedman's Medical Dictionary 27th ed, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, 1999