title: The visceromotor and somatic afferent nerves of the penis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Innervation of the penis supports erectile and sensory functions.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This article aims to study the efferent autonomic (visceromotor) and afferent somatic (sensory) nervous systems of the penis and to investigate how these systems relate to vascular pathways.
  
  
  METHODS
  Penises obtained from five adult cadavers were studied via computer-assisted anatomic dissection (CAAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  The number of autonomic and somatic nerve fibers was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Proximally, penile innervation was mainly somatic in the extra-albugineal sector and mainly autonomic in the intracavernosal sector. Distally, both sectors were almost exclusively supplied by somatic nerve fibers, except the intrapenile vascular anastomoses that accompanied both somatic and autonomic (nitrergic) fibers. From this point, the neural immunolabeling within perivascular nerve fibers was mixed (somatic labeling and autonomic labeling). Accessory afferent, extra-albugineal pathways supplied the outer layers of the penis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a major change in the functional type of innervation between the proximal and distal parts of the intracavernosal sector of the penis. In addition to the pelvis and the hilum of the penis, the intrapenile neurovascular routes are the third level where the efferent autonomic (visceromotor) and the afferent somatic (sensory) penile nerve fibers are close. Intrapenile neurovascular pathways define a proximal penile segment, which guarantees erectile rigidity, and a sensory distal segment.
authors.affiliation: U1195 (Neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and remyelinating small molecules), University Paris-Sud, INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.|Urology Department, University Paris-Sud Hospital of Bicetre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Djibril
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.affiliation: U1195 (Neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and remyelinating small molecules), University Paris-Sud, INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.|Urology Department, University Paris-Sud Hospital of Bicetre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Mazen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zaitouna
authors.affiliation: U1195 (Neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and remyelinating small molecules), University Paris-Sud, INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Bayan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Alsaid
authors.affiliation: Anatomic Pathology Department, University Paris-Sud Hospital of Bicetre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Quillard
authors.affiliation: INSERM i2b Institute, University Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ba
authors.affiliation: INSERM CESP U1018 Institute, University Paris-Sud, Villejuif Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Rodrigue Sètchéou
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Allodji
authors.affiliation: U1195 (Neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and remyelinating small molecules), University Paris-Sud, INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Gérard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: INSERM CESP U1018 Institute, University Paris-Sud, Villejuif Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Dina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bedretdinova
authors.affiliation: U1195 (Neuroprotective, neuroregenerative and remyelinating small molecules), University Paris-Sud, INSERM, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.|Urology Department, University Paris-Sud Hospital of Bicetre, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bessede
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000473:pathology*; D002102:Cadaver; D004210:Dissection; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000473:pathology*; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Anatomy; Cavernous Nerves; Computer-Assisted Anatomic Dissection; Corpora Cavernosa; Erection; Penis