title: The anatomy of the tunica albuginea in the normal penis and Peyronie's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the fine architecture of the tunica albuginea of the penis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 6 human male cadavers and 10 surgical patients (5 with Peyronie's disease and 5 with normal penile anatomy).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tunica albuginea of the corpora cavernosa is a bi-layered structure with multiple sub layers. Inner layer bundles support and contain the cavernous tissue and are oriented circularly. Radiating from this layer are intracavernous pillars acting as struts, which augment the septum and provide essential support to the erectile tissue. Outer layer bundles are oriented longitudinally. These fibers extend from the glans penis to the proximal crura, where they insert into the inferior pubic ramus. There are no outer layer fibers between the 5 and 7 o'clock positions. Elastic fibers normally form an irregularly latticed network on which collagen fibers rest. In Peyronie's disease the well ordered appearance of the collagen layers is lost: excessive deposits of collagen, disordered elastic fibers and fibrin are found within the region of the plaque.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The normal 3-dimensional structure of the tunica affords great flexibility, rigidity and tissue strength to the penis, which are lost consequent to structural changes in Peyronie's disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brock
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: von Heyden
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Lue
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010411:Penile Induration / Q000473:pathology*; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology*