[Considerable increase in the perineal arterial flow secondary to stimulation of the glans penis]

The authors investigated the changes in human perineal blood flow by Doppler ultrasonography before, during, and after pressure stimulations (30,150 mm Hg) applied to the glans penis. We found a local increased blood flow response in 72% of 50 patients who consulted our center for erectile dysfunctions. Precise measurement analyses of 10 of these subjects allowed us to further characterize this response. Its latency ranged from 0.1 to 0.8 sec. and its duration from 4 to 13 sec. The blood flow increased up to 8 times the prestimulation level. This consistent increase in perineal blood flow showed much less variability than either the latency or duration of the response. The results of this study suggest that intravaginal pressures exerted on the glans penis during vaginal penetration and intercourse trigger an augmentation of blood flow into the corpora cavernosa. The reflex nature of this response is currently under investigation.