Diagnostic steps in the evaluation of patients with erectile dysfunction

PURPOSE: The necessity for a thorough diagnostic evaluation for erectile dysfunction has been questioned after the availability of effective oral therapies. We determined the impact of the different diagnostic steps on the management strategy for erectile dysfunction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included all patients who presented at an andrology outpatient clinic during a 4-year period. Baseline evaluation included medical and sexual history, blood tests, physical examination and intracavernous injection test. Patients with normal initial screening were evaluated with specific diagnostic procedures. The results were analyzed to identify the diagnostic potential of each screening step separately. RESULTS: Overall 1,644 patients presented at the clinic during the study period, of whom 368 (22.4%) were excluded from study due to severe psychiatric (5.2%) or cardiovascular (2.7%) disease, or to a history of erectile dysfunction less than 3 months in duration (14.5%). In the remaining 1,276 patients with a mean age plus or minus standard deviation of 56 +/- 14 years, and a mean duration of erectile dysfunction of 4.9 +/- 3.4 years medical history revealed erectile dysfunction associated medical conditions in 57%, blood tests identified previously undiagnosed medical conditions in 6.2%, and physical examination and the intracavernous injection test were diagnostic in 13.9% and 2.6%, respectively. Initial screening was negative in 259 cases (20.3%), in which specific diagnostic procedures identified an underlying vascular pathology in 165 (12.9%) and unfavorable penile geometry in 16 (1.3%). The remaining 78 men (6.1%) had no evidence of organic disease. CONCLUSIONS: Baseline diagnostic evaluation for erectile dysfunction can identify the underlying pathological condition or erectile dysfunction associated risk factors in 80% of patients. Such screening may diagnose reversible causes of erectile dysfunction and also unmask medical conditions that manifest with erectile dysfunction as the first symptom. Specific diagnostic procedures may be limited in patients with primary erectile dysfunction or those without risk factors. Such clinical data support previously published guidelines for erectile dysfunction management.     

Clinical evaluation of erectile dysfunction in the era of PDE-5 inhibitors

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a common disorder that has gained attention since the introduction of relatively safe treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors. ED is a multi-factorial disorder and a common presentation for several systemic illnesses,particularly vascular occlusive diseases. The clinical evaluation of ED should be thorough and systematic, with attention to the appropriate use of sexual symptom questionnaires and symptom scales, detailed medical and sexual history, physical examination,and basic screening laboratory tests. Patients should be referred for specialized evaluations when appropriate. The clinician must be familiar with the pathophysiologic mechanisms of ED, its associations with other systemic diseases, the indications for specialist referrals, and the role of specialized testing to diagnose and treat this disorder effectively.     

Endocrine evaluation and therapy of erectile dysfunction

Recent innovative laboratory and clinical investigations have implicated an organic cause for as many as 30 to 50 per cent of cases of impotence. Understanding the clinical subtleties of hypogonadism and the reproductive hormonal axis in the male is critical to the evaluation and treatment of impotence of endocrinologic origin. Gonadotropin assays are essential for detecting elevations of FSH and LH, which will help to distinguish primary from secondary testicular failure. The goal of androgen replacement is the maintenance of physiologic testosterone levels without the potential hepatotoxic effects.     

西地那非治疗男性勃起功能障碍1200例临床应用体会

目的 评价口服西地那非治疗勃起功能障碍(ED)的疗效.方法 1200例ED患者服用西地那非治疗,其中心理性ED 789例(65.75%),器质性ED 162例(13.50%),混合性ED 249例(20.75%).结果 经服用西地那非治疗1006例取得有效和显效,总有效率83.83%,其中心理性ED 95.06%(750/789)、器质性ED 66.05%(107/162)、混合性ED 59.84%(149/249),本组口服西地那非治疗ED无重大不良反应发生.结论 西地那非为口服治疗ED一线药物,安全有效.     

阴茎勃起功能障碍诊断方法探讨

目的　探讨阴茎勃起功能障碍 (ED)的诊断方法。　方法　对 186例阴茎勃起功能障碍患者分别采取国际勃起功能评分 (IIEF 5 )、阴茎海绵体注射 (ICI)试验、血清性激素 (LH、T、PRL和E2 )测定、阴茎彩色双功能超声、阴茎海绵体造影及球海绵体肌反射潜伏时间等检查。　结果　有186、71、2 8、4 5、2 1和 17例患者分别接受了上述检查 ,诊断心理性ED 4 6例 ,动脉性ED 6例 ,静脉性ED 15例 ,内分泌性ED 3例 ,神经性ED 3例 ,混合性ED 10例 ,原因不明 10 3例。　结论　ED是高度个性化疾病 ,针对患者不同情况采取相应的诊断方法 ,有利于选择高效、经济、安全的治疗方法。     

Diagnostic intracorporeal papaverine and erectile dysfunction

Intracorporeal papaverine has been used as an out-patient procedure to assess the erectile dysfunction of 129 men. The technique is a valuable diagnostic aid and has few side effects. Prolonged tumescence occurred in four patients, two of whom required treatment with intracorporeal metaraminol.     

Neurologic evaluation of erectile dysfunction

Most patients with neurogenic impotence present with a pre-existing neurologic disease. The neurologic assessment in these patients is generally performed to confirm that the underlying neuropathology plays a role in the erectile dysfunction. There are patients, however, with no obvious pre-existing neuropathology who are identified as having a vibratory impairment of the dorsal nerve on penile biothesiometry. Subsequent neurophysiologic testing in several of these patients has confirmed unsuspected neuropathology. An objective evaluation of autonomic cavernosal neurointegrity is still awaited. Such a test may enable the detection of efferent denervation resulting in neurogenic erectile dysfunction that is not clinically obvious.     

Why a combined intracavernosal injection with trimix and oral sildenafil is reliable therapy in the ultrasonographic evaluation of erectile dysfunction

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate prospectively and compare the clinical response and the change in nucleotides correlating with haemodynamic changes in the cavernosal arteries after an intracavernosal injection (ICI) with vasoactive agents with or without oral sildenafil in men with erectile dysfunction (ED).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 80 patients with ED were prospectively evaluated by clinical assessments, measuring nucleotides in blood plasma and haemodynamics in cavernosal arteries. All patients had colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) twice with an interval of 5 h. First, each patient had CDU after ICI with trimix (0.25 mL) or prostaglandin E1 (PGE1, 5 µg), and the second CDU was after ICI trimix given 1 h after oral placebo (group I), sildenafil 25 mg (group II) or 100 mg (group III) and after ICI with PGE1 at 1 h after oral placebo (group IV) or 100 mg sildenafil (group V). Levels of cGMP and cAMP in peripheral venous and penile cavernosal blood plasma were measured at 15 min after ICI.

RESULTS

The mean peak systolic velocity (PSV) at 5, 10, 15 min, and resistive index at 10 min in the second CDU after ICI with trimix, were significantly increased in group III. The mean (sem ) levels of cavernosal cGMP were significantly increased in group III and V, from 1130.1 (313.5) to 2056.7 (580.4) and 1017.0 (214.2) to 1905.2 (915.0) fmol/mL, respectively. cAMP was significantly increased in group V, from 9533.1 (2068.4) to 12150 (3684.2) fmol/mL.

CONCLUSIONS

The haemodynamic changes and cGMP and cAMP production in the cavernosum were improved by trimix plus sildenafil more than with than PGE1 plus sildenafil or one ICI with trimix or PGE1. The results suggest that ICI with trimix and sildenafil is the best combination for a pharmacological erection test.     

螺旋CT对动脉性勃起功能障碍诊断的应用分析

目的探讨初步运用螺旋CT对动脉性勃起功能障碍（ED）诊断的价值。方法对9例临床拟诊为动脉性ED的患者行螺旋CT增强扫描，运用螺旋CT原始图像，结合CT三维软件后处理进行观察诊断。结果观察组9例中，2例阴茎背动脉中断，6例有不同程度阴茎深动脉狭窄和充盈欠佳，1例表现为单侧阴部内动脉充盈缺损。结论运用螺旋CT对动脉性ED可以进行初步筛查性诊断。     

Multifactorial evaluation of diabetic erectile dysfunction

We determined arterial venous and sinusoidal factors in 20 patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction by performing dynamic infusion cavernosometry (DIC), colour flow Doppler ultrasonography, penile biothesiometry and corpus cavernosum electromyography (CCE). DIC, colour flow Doppler ultrasonography and penile biothesiometry were done in standard fashion except for CCE. Paradoxical increase in the electrical activity of corpus cavernosum after intracavernous (IC) papaverine was called a discoordination that was due to cavernous smooth muscle contraction instead of relaxatoon. Arterial and accompanying pathologies were found in 10 (50%) patients. In 3 (15%) of them pure arterial pathology, in 6 (30%) patients arterial and veno-occlusive dysfunction (VOD) and in one patient arterial pathology with abnormal biothesiometry were found. VOD and accompanying pathologies were found in 12 (60%) patients. In 6 (30%) of them VOD and arterial, in 4 (20%) patients VOD and discoordination and in 2 (10%) patients VOD and abnormal biothesiometric values were present. A higher frequency and coexistence of VOD and discoordination pattern were observed. In conclusion, patients with diabetic impotence show a wide range pathophysiology of erection and the evaluation of these patients must include multistep techniques.     

细胞因子治疗勃起功能障碍的研究进展

细胞因子与勃起功能障碍(ED)密切相关。研究发现,4类相关细胞因子和ED发生与治疗有关。促进血管再生的细胞因子可以改善血管内皮功能,促进内皮再生从而改善勃起功能;促进神经再生的细胞因子通过保护海绵体神经改善勃起功能;保护平滑肌功能的细胞因子通过促进平滑肌表达,抑制阴茎纤维化改善勃起功能;炎症相关的细胞因子通过作用于平滑肌上相应受体松弛平滑肌改善勃起功能。与5型磷酸二酯酶(PDE-5)抑制剂相比,细胞因子治疗ED更有针对性。但是,目前的实验模型大多数为大鼠且缺乏大样本的研究,限制了细胞因子进一步应用于临床。所以,虽然血管内皮生长因子(VEGF)、胰岛素样生长因子1(IGF-1)、脑源性神经营养因子(BDNF)、神经生长因子(NGF)等可以显著改善ED动物的勃起功能,但是需要大型动物实验和大样本的实验进一步证实其治疗效果和安全性。     

Penile prosthesis implantation in the era of medical treatment for erectile dysfunction

Penile prosthesis implantation, the oldest of the modern treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED), still plays an important role despite the advent of less invasive alternatives. For some men with ED, penile prosthesis implantation is the only effective or acceptable treatment. Penile prosthesis implantation remains a viable option in the contemporary management of ED as evidenced by annual penile prosthesis implantation cases in the United States rising from 17,540 in 2000 to 22,420 in 2009. Improvements in prosthesis design and implantation techniques have resulted in significant increases in device survival and patient satisfaction.     

Gene therapy for male erectile dysfunction

The potential clinical advantages of a gene transfer therapy-based approach to treatment of genitourinary smooth muscle-based disorders are several: potential single therapy for restoration of normal bladder or erectile function; eliminating the need for daily medication; use in combination with other therapies to reduce dose requirements and side effects; and development of mechanism-based, patient-specific treatment approaches. With the safe administration of hMax-K to men with erectile dysfunction in the first human phase 1 trial and the initiation of the phase 1 trial of hMaxi-K for patients who have detrusor overactivity, we have entered an exciting new era in the development of safe enduring therapies for genitourinary disorders.     

介入治疗动脉性勃起功能障碍

动脉性ED是男性常见疾病,与心血管疾病关系密切。近年来伴随心血管疾病发病率增加,动脉性ED发病率也逐年升高。目前ED治疗方法很多,但仍有很多问题有待进一步解决。参考介入治疗心血管疾病的成功经验,国外学者尝试开展小血管介入治疗动脉性ED的临床研究,为临床医师治疗ED提供了一种新思路。     

干细胞治疗阴茎勃起功能障碍的研究进展

阴茎勃起功能障碍(ED)是指男性反复或者持续性的难以达到和维持充分的阴茎勃起,无法完成性交或满意性活动的病理现象。海绵体神经(CN)损伤引起的勃起神经反射中断,是患者出现ED的直接原因,此外,CN损伤后,阴茎海绵体组织平滑肌细胞和内皮细胞凋亡增加,海绵体平滑肌纤维数量减少加重了ED的发生。因此,尽早干预CN损伤的病理过程,促进CN再生是治疗CN损伤性ED的关键。近年来,干细胞在ED治疗中的应用日益成为临床研究热点。现对胚胎干细胞(ESC)、间充质干细胞(MSCs)、肌源性干细胞(MDSCs)、脂肪干细胞(ADSCs)在ED治疗中的研究综述如下。