Scientists mapped all the nerves of the clitoris for the first time
Researchers have used high-resolution synchrotron X-ray imaging to create the first 3D map of clitoral nerves at a micron scale, offering new hope for reconstructive surgeries.
New research offers a closer look at one of the least-studied organs in the human body: the clitoris, the structure responsible for female sexual pleasure. Once described by a 16th-century anatomist as the "shameful member," the clitoris has historically been ignored in research in part due to taboo. Additionally, dissecting clitoral nerve tissue is challenging due to its position in relation to the surrounding pelvic organs.
In recent decades, MRI studies have characterized the overall structure of the clitoris. But only now have researchers captured clitoral nerves in three dimensions and at micron-scale resolution, thanks to an X-ray that uses an extremely bright light source called a synchrotron. "Our research was able to show different parts of the clitoris," lead study author Dr. Ju Young Lee, a postdoctoral researcher at Amsterdam University Medical Centers, said. She and her collaborators imaged two pelvises that had been donated postmortem to the university as part of the Human Organ Atlas initiative.
Using CT images, the researchers traced the dorsal nerve of the clitoris (DNC) — the organ's main sensory nerve. While prior studies reported that the DNC tapers off as it nears the clitoral glans, the new imaging instead reveals that the DNC extends a robust array of branches into the glans. The DNC also splits off toward the mons pubis and the clitoral hood.
This work could be used to improve reconstructive procedures to restore the clitoris and clitoral function in patients who have experienced female genital mutilation. The new study may also help surgeons avoid damaging clitoral nerves during other operations on or near the vulva. Dr. Blair Peters, an associate professor at Oregon Health and Science University, noted that the genital region has been like a "black box" that's been unexplored compared to other peripheral nerves. Lee said she hopes to expand her research to a larger sample size, viewing this as the beginning of a new clitoris science.
Source: Hacker News
