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Published on: August 13, 2019
Sexually responsive vascular tissue of the vulva
Claire C Yang1, Christopher J Cold, Ugur Yilmaz
1Department of Urology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
BJU International
|March 16, 2006
Summary
The female genitalia possess five distinct vascular compartments. Specialized erectile tissues within these areas show significant blood volume changes during sexual arousal, as revealed by MRI.
Area of Science:
- Anatomy
- Physiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Understanding the female sexual response involves detailed knowledge of genital vascular anatomy.
- Previous studies have not fully elucidated the specific vascular compartments and tissue types within the female external genitalia.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the gross anatomical and histological features of vulvar vascular tissue.
- To correlate these findings with in vivo changes during sexual arousal using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Main Methods:
- Gross anatomical and histological examination of seven cadaveric vulvectomy specimens.
- Serial sectioning and various staining techniques (haematoxylin and eosin, elastic Masson's trichrome).
- Axial MRI of two healthy women at baseline and during sexual arousal.
Main Results:
- Identification of five vascular compartments in the female external genitalia: clitoris, clitoral bulbs, labia minora, urethra, and vestibule/vagina.
- Distinction between two vascular tissue types: erectile and non-erectile/specialized genital.
- MRI demonstrated the greatest blood volume changes in erectile tissue compartments during sexual arousal.
Conclusions:
- The vulva contains substantial amounts of specialized vascular tissue.
- These specialized vascular tissues exhibit a unified, albeit variable, response to sexual arousal.
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