Corpus cavernosum

Corpus cavernosum penis

ReproductiveOrgansPelvisLeft and right

View left in 3D View right in 3D

Shown on the male body.

What it is

One of the two dorsal erectile cylinders of the penis. Each starts as a crus fixed to the ischiopubic ramus, and the pair run side by side inside the tough tunica albuginea to end under the glans.

Function

Its spongy sinusoids fill with blood during erection, making the penis rigid.

Size

About 15 cm long including the crus; ~1.5 cm across when flaccid.

Clinical note

Carries the deep (cavernous) artery; PDE5 inhibitors act on its smooth muscle. A penile "fracture" is a tear of its tunica albuginea.