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Fundamentals and hemodynamics of penile erection

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Abstract

Human penile erection is a complex phenomenon mediated through the coordinated interaction among the nervous, vascular, and musculosystems. For social and ethical reasons, the mechanism and hemodynamics of this essential human function remained speculative and controversial for many years. In the past decade, however, advances in technology, together with a marked increase in clinical and research activity, have resolved some of the controversy and have provided a better understanding of erectile physiology. In this essay, we will review traditional concepts, as well as the new and exciting findings from many different research centers, concerning the physiologic mechanisms of penile erection that involve the arterial, venous, and nervous systems.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Urology, University of California School of Medicine, U-518, 94114-0738, San Francisco, California, USA

    Sherif R. Aboseif & Tom F. Lue M.D.

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  1. Sherif R. Aboseif
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  2. Tom F. Lue M.D.
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Aboseif, S.R., Lue, T.F. Fundamentals and hemodynamics of penile erection. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol 11, 185–190 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02577002

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02577002

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