Pudendal Nerve and Internal Pudendal Artery Damage May Contribute to Radiation-Induced Erectile Dysfunction

Understanding and Managing Erectile Dysfunction in Patients Treated for Cancer

“…[10][11][12] Several animal model studies have examined stereotactic body radiation therapy to the prostate, neurovascular bundles, and penile bulb. Nolan et al 13 showed that prostatic irradiation caused arterial damage (specifically, altered internal pudendal arterial tone) and decreased motor function in the pudendal nerve (from axonal degeneration and loss). Kimura et al 14 found decreased cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels (important in mediating erections) in the radiated group (25 Gy) compared with controls.…”

Machine Learning on a Genome-wide Association Study to Predict Late Genitourinary Toxicity After Prostate Radiation Therapy

“…The lower urinary tract is innervated by various peripheral nerves, including pelvic, hypogastric, and pudendal nerves, which control essential urinary functions such as the sensation of bladder filling, phasic contraction of smooth muscles in the bladder, and contraction of sphincters for urination (33). Studies have reported nerve damage after RT for prostate cancer with a possible association to erectile dysfunction (34, 35), which has not been studied to a large extent for GU toxicity. The inability to recover from damage to the nervous system caused by interventions such as RT could explain part of the toxicity risk.…”

Radiation-induced erectile dysfunction in patients with prostate cancer: current methods of radiotherapy

“…В отличие от РПЭ, при которой основная роль в послеоперационной эректильной дисфункции (ЭД) принадлежит повреждению кавернозных нервов, идущих в составе сосудисто-нервных пучков (СНП), удельный вес вышеперечисленных патологических процессов в развитии РИЭД до сих пор не ясен. Судя по всему, конечный постлучевой статус ЭФ определяется повреждением нескольких структур [8].…”