Contribution to the study of the venous vasculature of the penis

The penile veins are thought to be responsible for some erectile disorders. The aim of this study was to describe the anatomy and function of these ve ins. The venous systems of 25 cadaveric penises were studied by various ana tomic and histologic techniques. The superficial veins arising from the teg umentary layers drain into the superficial dorsal vein which in three-quart ers of cases empties into the left great saphenous vein. The veins of the d eep internal system, running below the deep fascia of the penis, emerge fro m the erectile bodies and can be divided into two systems, one anterosuperi or and the other posteroinferior. The anterosuperior system comprises the v eins of the glans which will form the deep dorsal vein; the latter receives blood from the medial portion of the corpus spongiosum and from the free p ortion of the corpora cavernosum mainly via the circumflex veins. It ends i n the pre-prostatic plexus. The posteroinferior system, issuing from the po sterior portion of the erectile bodies, is composed of the bulbar, cavernou s and crural veins which drain towards the pre-prostatic plexus and the int ernal pudendal veins. Anastomoses Link the two networks, superficial and de ep. Study of the structure of the veins of the deep system reveals the pres ence of muscular cushions, which we have shown to have adrenergic innervati on. These findings are compared with those of the Literature, which show va riations which are mainly of number. The place of veins in the mechanism of erection is discussed.