Penile electrodiagnosis: penile peripheral innervation.

Many electrophysiologic tests have been performed and have proved useful for diagnosing sexual function. However, there have been limitations to the interpretation of the tests because of paucity of details concerning penile innervation. Therefore, electrophysiologic studies were performed in 3 patients with psychogenic impotence and in 15 patients with organic impotence to assess accurately the peripheral somatic innervation of the penis. The glans penis was innervated by the dorsal nerve of the penis. In some patients dual innervation was present at the ventral aspect of the glans penis by the dorsal nerve of the penis and the perineal nerve. The predominant innervation and fiber spectra of the glans by the dorsal nerve of the penis and the crucial role of the glans in sexual arousal and erectile function provide adequate rationale for the measurement of nerve conduction velocity of the dorsal nerve of the penis in sexual dysfunction.