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Beyond the tip of the iceberg: A meta-analysis of the anatomy of the clitoris.

Longhurst, GJ; Beni, R; Jeong, SR; Pianta, M; Soper, AL; Leitch, P; De Witte, G; Fisher, L (2024) Beyond the tip of the iceberg: A meta-analysis of the anatomy of the clitoris. Clin Anat, 37 (2). pp. 233-252. ISSN 1098-2353 https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.24113
SGUL Authors: Longhurst, Georga Jane

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Abstract

An understanding of ranges in clitoral anatomy is important for clinicians caring for patients including those who have had female genital mutilation, women seeking genital cosmetic surgery, or trans women seeking reconstructive surgery. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate the ranges in clitoral measurements within the literature. A meta-analysis was performed on Ovid Medline and Embase databases following the PRISMA protocol. Measurements of clitoral structures from magnetic imaging resonance, ultrasound, cadaveric, and living women were extracted and analyzed. Twenty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The range in addition to the average length and width of the glans (6.40 mm; 5.14 mm), body (25.46 mm; 9.00 mm), crura (52.41 mm; 8.71 mm), bulb (52.00 mm; 10.33 mm), and prepuce (23.19 mm) was calculated. Furthermore, the range and average distance from the clitoris to the external urethral meatus (22.27 mm), vagina (43.14 mm), and anus (76.30 mm) was documented. All erectile and non-erectile structures of the clitoris present with substantial range. It is imperative to expand the literature on clitoral measurements and disseminate the new results to healthcare professionals and the public to reduce the sense of inadequacy and the chances of iatrogenic damage during surgery.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: © 2023 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists and British Association of Clinical Anatomists. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Keywords: anatomy, clitoral, clitoris, range, systematic review, variation, vulva, 1103 Clinical Sciences, 1116 Medical Physiology, Anatomy & Morphology
SGUL Research Institute / Research Centre: Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE)
Academic Structure > Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education (IMBE) > Centre for Biomedical Education (INMEBE)
Journal or Publication Title: Clin Anat
ISSN: 1098-2353
Language: eng
Dates:
DateEvent
8 February 2024Published
29 September 2023Published Online
20 August 2023Accepted
Publisher License: Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0
PubMed ID: 37775965
Go to PubMed abstract
URI: https://openaccess.sgul.ac.uk/id/eprint/115779
Publisher's version: https://doi.org/10.1002/ca.24113

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