Penile deep dorsal vein cushions and erection

During surgical treatment of impotence due to venous leakage, the deep dorsal veins from 10 patients were resected and studied histologically to see if any morphological anomaly could be implicated in the physiopathological mechanism of venous leakage. Normal venous cushions were present in these veins similar to those observed in the deep dorsal veins of patients with normal erections. Their function and possible deterioration are discussed.