Disorders of erectile potency in diabetes mellitus

The incidence of erectile dysfunction in patients with long-term diabetes mellitus can be as high as 50%. Diabetic microangiopathy is regarded as the most important pathogenic factor. In this review of a group of 210 impotent patients evaluated and treated at our centre we report on the examination data (angiopathy, neuropathy, psychogenic factors) in 36 patients with diabetes in comparison with the corresponding findings in 169 non-diabetic patients. In 5 patients erectile dysfunction had actually preceded the clinical manifestations of diabetes mellitus. Autoinjection therapy was started in 62% of all the diabetic patients, since this is effective, minimally invasive and, therefore, applicable to a large group of patients. This form of therapy was accepted by 90% of our patients' partners, which is in accordance to the reports in the literature. However, treatment had to be interrupted in 2 out of the 22 patients, owing to lack of cooperation on the part of the sexual partner. No complications were attributable to autoinjection therapy.