A HISTOLOGICAL STUDY OF DENONVILLIERS FASCIA AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO THE NEUROVASCULAR BUNDLE

Objective To evaluate the anatomical relationship between the nerves a nd fasciae at the site of dissection in a radical retropubic prostatec tomy. Materials and method Eight adult male (autopsy) en bloc specimen s of bladder and rectum were examined histologically after staining wi th either haematoxylin and eosin or S-100 protein (as a specific nerve stain). Results All specimens showed Denonvilliers' fascia to have no clearly defined layers and no definable lateral edge. No distinct neu rovascular bundle was seen but nerves were scattered throughout the fa sciae, including medially towards the midline. Conclusion In radical r etropubic prostatectomy, a piece of Denonvilliers' fascia is taken wit h the specimen, thus removing these nerves, The loss of these nerve fi bres may explain the significant rate of erectile dysfunction after 'n erve-sparing' surgery.