Bulbocavernosus reflex in benign hypertrophy of the prostate.

Electrically induced bulbocavernosus (BC) reflexes were investigated in 47 patients with benign prostatic hypertrophy and the possible harmful effects of prostatectomy on the pudendal nerve branches were followed up in 30 of the patients using the same method. BC reflex obtained by electrical stimulation of the glans penis did not differ significantly from the normal value in bulbocavernosus and external urethral sphincter muscles whether or not patients had been operated on. It was concluded that there is no reason to believe in the existence of somatic involvement of the pudendal nerve branches in prostatic hypertrophy, or that suprapubic prostatectomy could harmfully affect such somatic nerve fibers.

Bulbocavernosus reflex in patients with conus medullaris and cauda equina lesions.

The clinical value and practical application of the electrically induced BC reflex was investigated in 40 patients with traumatic or compressive lesions of the conus medullaris or cauda equina. It was shown that the BC reflex was either absent or delayed depending upon the invovlement of the sacral 2--4 spinal and radicular segments. The latency of the BC reflex was normal in patients with mainly epiconus and lumbar cord involvement.

Bulbocavernosus reflex in normal men and in patients with neurogenic bladder and/or impotence.

The bulbocavernosus reflex was investigated electrophysiologically in 14 normal adult male subjects and in 80 patients with neurogenic bladders and/or impotence due to various neurological causes as well as in patients with functional impotence. The glans penis was stimulated superficially by single electrical shocks and the reflex responses were recorded from the bulbocavernosus (BC) and the striated anal sphincter muscles by means of concentric needle EMG electrodes. In all normal subjects, the BC reflex was recorded from the BC muscle as a stable and constant response having a mean latency of 36.