Serial MR imaging with MS-325 for evaluating female sexual arousal response: determination of intrasubject reproducibility

PURPOSE: To determine if a similar sexual arousal response in normal, healthy women could be obtained and monitored by serial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging at two separate sessions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serial imaging of the external genitalia was performed on nine healthy, sexually functional women at two separate MR sessions after administration of the contrast agent, MS-325. Images were obtained every three minutes during a 45-minute study period during each MR session. The second MR session began approximately 45 minutes after the end of the first MR session. While undergoing imaging, subjects viewed videotapes that contained neutral and sexually-explicit material through an audiovisual system. Analysis performed at each time point consisted of visual evaluation of the images, clitoral and femoral vein signal intensity measurements, relative regional blood volume calculations, and clitoral volume measurements. Statistical analysis of the results consisted of calculating correlation coefficients of the two MR sessions by using the least square fit method. RESULTS: All nine subjects reported sexual arousal on subjective questionnaires at each MR session. Post-contrast MS-325 MR images showed strong enhancement of the external genitalia at each session. There was excellent correlation between the two sessions for the clitoral volume measurements of all nine subjects. The correlation coefficient, r(2), was 0.95. CONCLUSION: The sexual arousal response in normal, healthy women can be monitored by serial imaging combined with the use of the contrast agent, MS-325, and similar results can be reproduced at two different MR sessions. This method holds promise for future studies of women with female sexual arousal dysfunction.