Innervation of vagina: Microdissection and immunohistochemical study

You Bong Song, Kun Hwang, Dae Joong Kim, Seung Ho Han

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35 Scopus citations

Abstract

The aim of this study is to elucidate the innervation of human vagina by performing a microdissection and PGP immunohistochemistry study. Seven fresh Korean cadavers were used. In five cadavers, the site at which the nerve entered the vaginal wall was observed by microdissection. Two vaginas were stained with trichrome and protein gene product 9.5 (PGP) immunostain. Terminal nerve branches in the vaginal wall were most dense at the second 1/5 partition from the inferior anterior wall (1.49 ± 0.51/cm2). Its density started decreasing (0.57 ± 0.09/cm2 -0.89 ± 0.46/cm2) and became scarce at the fourth and fifth 1/5 partitions from the bottom (0.37 ± 0.14/cm2/3-0/cm2). The mucosa of the anterior vaginal wall at the distal 1/3 point (designated 1) was 3.50 ± 2.06 mm in thickness and was 1.18 ± 0.20 mm at the proximal point (designated 2). It was 1.57 ± 0.78 mm at the distal 1/3 point (designated 3) of the lateral wall and 1.43 ± 0.39 mm at the proximal 1/3 point (designated 4) of the posterior wall. Point 1 was thicker than 2, 3, and 4. The vaginal muscle of 1 (5.59 ± 2.74 mm) was thicker than 2 (3.19 ± 0.62 mm), 3 (3.31 ± 1.31 mm), and 4 (2.98 ± 0.33 mm). Small nerve fibers were most dense at 1 (6.5 ± 1.1/mm2) and scarce at 4 (3.8 ± 1.5/mm2). Large nerve fibers were most dense at 1 (1.9 ± 0.9/mm2) and scarce at 2 (0.7 ± 0.7/mm2) and 4 (0.7 ± 1.0/mm2). The density of small nerve fibers is 2 ∼2.9/mm2 in the muscle and 0.7∼1.5/mm2 in large nerve fibers. The second 1/5 partition of the distal anterior wall had significantly richer innervation than the surrounding areas. Therefore, we think this 1/5 partition of the distal anterior wall could be so called "G-spot."

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)144-153
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Sex and Marital Therapy
Volume35
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2009

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This study was supported by grant (R01-2005-000-10018-0) from Basic Research Program of Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF). We would like to express our thanks to Dr. Robert S. Chung, MD, FACS, Genetic Institute of Anti-Aging, Costa Mesa, CA, for reviewing this manuscript. We are also grateful to Sheng Jin, MD, for his effort in preparing histology slides.

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