ANATOMY OF THE PROSTATIC NERVES

The entire prostate of a 10 year old boy was cut with a microtome into 4300 serial slices. The nerves were stained using a monoclonal antibo dy called anti PS 100. All information was recorded using a computer r econstruction programme. The prostatic nerve supply is very abundant. The nerve fibers of the cranial prostate (central zone) follow a pathw ay parallel to the anterior surface of the seminal vesicles going towa rds the caudal prostate. The periurethral zone is widely innervated by nerves arising from the periphery. The caudal prostate also contains many nerve fibers of variable size. We identified many nerve fibers al ong the anterior surface of the seminal vesicles and surrounding the l ateral aspect of the prostatic capsule. They penetrate the capsule and the whole circumference of the caudal prostate. The prostatic capsule is covered by numerous nerve fibers and ganglia, which form a true pe riprostatic nerve network. The urethra is supplied by numerous thick f ibers of more than 30 mum in diameter.