[Controversies in the prostate surgical anatomy. A literature review]

Radical prostatectomy technique has improved in the last years based on accumulated surgical experience and new anatomical findings. We think it is time to update anatomical concepts to standardized the criteria formentioning structures related with radical prostatectomy

With the followings key words: "cavernosal nerves, prostatectomy, anatomy, neurovascular bundle" we search in Medline/PubMed database selecting papers fulfilling the search criteria.

The prostate does not have a true capsule but rather an incomplete fibromuscular band as an intrinsic part of the gland. Periprostatic fascia seems to be a different structure from this fibromuscular band. Histologically Denonvilliers's fascia is formed by two thin layers that cannot be separated during surgery. The longitudinal smooth muscle fibres located beneath the posterior bladder neck corresponds to the posterior longitudinal fascia of the detrusor muscle. Cavernosal nerves are located between the two layers of the endopelvic fascia, the inner layer could be named periprostatic fascia and the outer, levator ani fascia. Cavernosal nerves merged from the pelvic plexus running within a neurovascular bundle around the prostate that could be found as a singular bundle or spread all around the anterolateral surface of this gland. There are overlapping terms to designate the pelvic fascia, therefore it could be useful for Urologists to standardized them.