In order for man to fully penetrate his partner during sexual intercourse, says Paul Perito MD, there are several mechanical components of his penis that must work together in unison to achieve a viable erection. Soft glans syndrome is a defect in which the penis fills with blood, but remains effectively limp. During a soft glans erection, the corpus cavernosum, as well as glans penis remain cold and soft, reports Paul Perito MD.
The penis is composed of two parallel chambers that are filled with a spongy material and rigidify when a man becomes aroused, says Paul Perito MD. Additionally, the glans penis (the tip) as well corpus spongiosum swell and engorge, rendering the penis hard and impliable. According to Paul Perito MD, patients presenting soft glans have difficulty with penetration as their point of contact, the glans penis, remain soft, which creates a buckling effect on the shaft of the penis. This reduces a man’s ability to engage in coitus, notes Paul Perito MD.
According to Paul Perito MD, although soft glans syndrome is not widely understood in the medical community, there are three distinct pathophysiologic suspects. Failure to initiate involves injury to the motor nerves, which hinders activation of the arterial flow and the veno-occlusive process specific to the spongiosal tissue. Paul Perito MD notes that this may be a postoperative side effect of urethroplasty. Failure to fill may be the result of a degenerative condition where arteries in the penis progressively narrow and eventually occlude blood flow (arterial occlusive disease). Another possibility for failure to fill is blunt force trauma to the perineum. Paul Perito MD indicates that the third possible cause for soft glans, failure to store, involves an excess of fibril tissue inside of the corpus spongiosum causing the erectile tissue to expand poorly. This creates insufficient compression in the minute blood vessels of the Tunica, or supportive fibrous wall inside of the penis leading to leakage of blood from the penis. There are other conditions that have a notable correlation with soft glans syndrome, reports Paul Perito MD. They include neurological injuries, certain types of vascular diseases, and Peyronie’s disease.
Soft glands may be treated with drugs, surgery or vacuum therapy, says Paul Perito MD. Pharmacologic treatments available include Levitra, Cialis, and Viagra which are PDE5 inhibitors that work by increasing blood flow to vital areas of the penis. Paul Perito MD cautions that these drugs have no effect on patients with the failure to initiate form of the condition. Surgical procedures work to close the acquired shunts inside penis as well as ligate specific veins. Vacuum therapy forcibly diverts blood to the glans penis and may be used in conjunction with mechanical rings at the base of the penis. The most effective method for treating soft glans syndrome appears to be the Medicated Urethral System for Erection (MUSE). According to Paul Perito MD, this pharmacologic compound is delivered via the urethra and absorbed to the urethral mucosa, allowing vasodilation and satisfactory engorgement of the glans penis.
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Urological surgeon Paul Perito MD has devoted his entire professional career to treating men suffering from Erectile Dysfunction. He is the founder and namesake of Perito Urology, where he conceived and initiated the world’s first minimally invasive approach to penile implantation. Paul Perito MD has performed over 3000 of these procedures on men across the globe that enjoy a shorter recovery time and less scarring than with traditional implantation methods. Since 1995, Paul Perito MD and Perito Urology have become synonymous with effective erectile dysfunction treatment and world-class service unparalleled anywhere in the nation. Dr. Perito is a graduate of the University of Maryland Medical School as well as a frequent contributor to text published by medical journals nationwide.
The information contained in this article is provided by Paul Perito MD for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat or diagnose any condition.
