Anatomy of cavernous nerves distal to prostate: microdissection study in adult male cadavers

Retrograde and antegrade dissections from the penile hilum to the prostatic area and the glans penis were performed in 4 formalin-preserved adult male cadavers. In addition to the medial branches accompanying the urethra, the lateral branches of the cavernous nerves pierced the urogenital diaphragm 4 to 7 mm from the striated muscles of the external sphincter. At the penile region, multiple communications between the cavernous and dorsal nerves were noted that suggest that either the cavernous nerves use the dorsal nerve as a carrier to the distal portion of the penis or the dorsal nerve may itself contain autonomic fibers. These findings will improve our ability to preserve erectile function during pelvic, urethral, and penile surgery.