Follows a little summary about my favourites procedures during a genitourinary neurological exam:
BCR - bulbocavernous reflex test
Stimulus consists in a rapid pinching of the glans penis with fingers or with a spring clamp.
Some doctors elicit this reflex by firmly removing a catheter previously inserted in the urethra.
The stimulus should always come as a surprise for the patient 😶 to be effective.
It causes contraction of the bulbocavernosus muscle behind the scrotum and conseguently the rapid tightening or contraction of the
anal sphincter so the response is best palpated with a gloved finger in the rectum 😳.
In females the clitoris is stimulated but the response is more difficult to elicit and the clinical significance of its absence more dubious.
CMR - Cremasteric reflex test
It is elicited by a light stroke with the
back of the reflex hammer on the inner thigh and causes contraction of the dartos scroti muscle which contracts the scrotum and elevates the testicle.
It is a segmental reflex that evaluates L1–L2.
AR - anal reflex test
The perianal skin is lightly stroked with an applicator that elicits contraction of the anal sphincter. The segmental innervation is S5.
Penile Sensory Threshold Assessment
With a biothesiometer or vibrometer applied on the frenulum or glans penis to reach the sensory threshold.
Penile Evocated Response
More accurate neurourological investigations are performed with electrical stimulation of the dorsal penile nerves.
Penis is injected to induce a farmacological erection. Many couples of little needle electrodes are placed subdermally 😮 on the glans penis in different positions to electrically stimulate the dorsal nerves. Often this operation is performed under local anesthesia to become more tolerable. Other electrodes are placed on the penis base and a needle electrode in the perineum near the anus to detect the contraction of the anal sphincter.
I have not yet tried the last one... I read of this in a paper, a neurourology - female 😉 - doctor used this procedure on some male volunteers to map the human penis innervation.
Currently I am too afraid of the needles on the glans 😮 to try!
I would like to know if you like and/or regularly practice
some of these procedures on your patients. 😉