3D imaging of the pelvic veins in the male

Three dimensional imaging with modeling by caverno-CT is the only technique that provides a precise topographical information, a true 3D map of the male pelvic venous anatomy. The aim of this study is to assess the caverno-venous leaks (CVL), which are the main cause of primitive erectile dysfunction in young men. In addition to duplex color, 3D imaging is essential for their diagnosis and to guide the surgical procedure to neutralize the CVL by ligation or embolization. To do this, we perform a precise anatomical segmentation of the Dicom data using dedicated software (3Dslicer, Meshmixer). The result is an interactive color model of the pelvic anatomy in 3D mesh form. This 3D imaging technique allows a precise anatomical study of the variations of the male pelvic veins. This article describes the caverno-CT technique, the classication of the caverno-venous leaks and lists the variations in venous morphology in a series of 371 patients.