Investigations in erectile dysfunction

Current Opinion in Urology

Volumn 13, Issue 5, 2003, Pages 411-416

  Meuleman, Eric J H ^a  

^a RADBOUD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER   (Netherlands)

Author keywords

Diagnosis; Erectile dysfunction; Investigation

Indexed keywords

ANGIOGRAPHY; CARDIOVASCULAR REFLEX; CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM; DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING; ECHOGRAPHY; ELECTROMYOGRAM; ELECTROMYOGRAPHY; ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION; EVOKED SOMATOSENSORY RESPONSE; HUMAN; INFRARED SPECTROMETRY; MEDICAL INFORMATION; NEUROLOGIC EXAMINATION; NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; PATHOPHYSIOLOGY; PATIENT INFORMATION; PENIS ERECTION; PENIS NOCTURNAL TUMESCENCE; PHYSICAL EXAMINATION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; SEXUAL BEHAVIOR; SEXUALITY;

HUMANS; IMPOTENCE; MALE;

EID: 0041760775     PISSN: 09630643     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00042307-200309000-00009     Document Type: Review

References (81)

1. Wespes E, Amar E, Hatzichristou D, et al. European Association of Urology. Guidelines on erectile dysfunction. Eur Urol 2002; 41:1-5. A panel of experts in this field have developed guidelines for clinical evaluation and treatment based on a review of the available scientific information.
2. Levine LA. Diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction. Am J Med 2000; 109 (Suppl. 9A):3S-12S; discussion 29S-30S.
3. Sharlip ID. Diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction in the era of oral therapy. Int J Impot Res 2000; 12 (Suppl. 4):S12-S14.
4. Hatzichristou D, Hatzimouratidis K, Bekas M, et al. Diagnostic steps in the evaluation of patients with erectile dysfunction. J Urol 2002; 168:615-620. A baseline diagnostic evaluation for ED can identify the underlying pathological condition or ED-associated risk factors in 80% of patients.
5. Usta MF, Erdogru T, Tefekli A, et al. Honeymoon impotence: psychogenic or organic in origin? Urology 2001; 57:758-762.
6. Aydin S, Unal D, Erol H, et al. Multicentral clinical evaluation of the aetiology of erectile dysfunction: a survey report. Int Urol Nephrol 2001; 32:699-703.
7. Meuleman E, Broderick G, Meng Tan H, et al. Clinical evaluation and the doctor-patient dialogue. In: Jardin A, Wagner G, Khoury S, et al., editors. Erectile dysfunction. Plymouth UK, Plymbridge Distributers Ltd., 2000. pp. 115-138. Available online at cservs@plymbridge.com
8. Gooren LJG. Quality-of-life issues in the aging male. Aging Male 2000; 3:185-189.
9. Carbone DJ Jr, Seftel AD. Erectile dysfunction. Diagnosis and treatment in older men. Geriatrics 2002; 57:18-24.
10. Meuleman EJ. Prevalence of erectile dysfunction: need for treatment? Int J Impot Res 2002; 14 (Suppl. 1):S22-S28. The frequent association of sexual and medical problems, especially in the aged, make counselling, adjustment of lifestyle and the modification of risk factors, such as medication, overweight, smoking, alcohol consumption, and lack of exercise, the primary steps in a holistic approach towards the treatment of ED. It is especially important to educate these men to remain physically and sexually as active as possible for as long as possible. The phrase 'use it or lose it' is particularly appropriate for the genitalia.
11. Lee JC, Surridge DHC, Morales A, Heaton JPW. Erectile dysfunction: the perspectives of patients and partners on counselling. J Sex Reprod Med 2002; 2:11-15.
12. Levine LA, Kloner RA. Importance of asking questions about erectile dysfunction. Am J Cardiol 2000; 86:1210-1213, A5.
13. Falk RH. The cardiovascular response to sexual activity: do we know enough? Clin Cardiol 2001; 24:271-275.
14. Rosen RC. Psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Classification and management. Urol Clin North Am 2001; 28:269-278.
15. Slob AK, Buitenhuis EF, Gijs L, Hop WC. 'Leiden Impotence Screening Test' (LIST) in men with erectile dysfunction as a pre-selective method prior to psychophysiological diagnostic tests. Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd 2001; 145:581-586.
16. Delavierre D, Girard P, Peneau M, Ibrahim H. Should plasma prolactin assay be routinely performed in the assessment of erectile dysfunction? Report of a series of 445 patients. Review of the literature. Prog Urol 1999; 9:1097-1101.
17. De Rosa M, Zarrilli S, Di Sarno A. Hyperprolactinemia in men: clinical and biochemical features and response to treatment. Endocrine 2003; 20:75-82. Hyperprolactinemia induces hypogonadism by inhibiting gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulsatile secretion and, consequently, follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and testosterone pulsatility. In men, hypogonadism leads to impaired libido, ED, diminished ejaculate volume, and oligospermia. It is present in 16% of patients with ED and in approximately 11% of men with oligospermia.
18. Johri AM, Heaton JP, Morales A. Severe erectile dysfunction is a marker for hyperprolactinemia. Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:176-182.
19. Buvat J, Lemaire A. Endocrine screening in 1022 men with erectile dysfunction. Clinical significance and cost-effective strategy. J Urol 1997; 158:1764-1767.
20. Morales A, Heaton JP. Hormonal erectile dysfunction. Evaluation and management. Urol Clin North Am 2001; 28:279-288.
21. Wagner G, Claes H, Costa P, et al., Lygon Arms Group. A shared care approach to the management of erectile dysfunction in the community. Int J Impot Res 2002; 14:189-194.
22. O'Kane PD, Jackson G. Erectile dysfunction: is there silent obstructive coronary artery disease? Int J Clin Pract 2001; 55:219-220.
23. Belcaro G, Nicolaides AN, Cesarone MR, et al. Vascular screening in andropause: non-invasive investigations in vascular disease screening. Curr Med Res Opin 2000; 16 (Suppl. 1):S68-S71.
24. Chun J, Carson CC. Physician-patient dialogue and clinical evaluation of erectile dysfunction. Urol Clin North Am 2001; 28:249-258.
25. Diemont WL, Hendriks JCM, Lemmens WAJG, et al. Prognostic factors for vascular components of erectile dysfunction in patients on renal replacement therapy. Int J Impot Res 2003; 15:44-52. The vascular contribution to ED in patients on renal replacement therapy is substantial. Data from medical history, limited physical examination, and PPDU contribute to the prediction of the vascular contribution to ED.
26. Meuleman EJ, Diemont WL. Investigation of erectile dysfunction. Diagnostic testing for vascular factors in erectile dysfunction. Urol Clin North Am 1995; 22:803-819.
27. Burnett AL, Allen RP, Davis, et al. Near infrared spectrophotometry for the diagnosis of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2000; 12:247-254.
28. Aversa A, Isidori AM, Caprio M, et al. Penile pharmacotesting in diagnosing male erectile dysfunction: evidence for lack of accuracy and specificity. Int J Androl 2002; 25:6-10. The authors conclude that a pharmacotest alone is a misleading diagnostic test to exclude vascular ED and that PPDU should be offered to patients investigated for male ED.
29. Elhanbly S, Schoor R, Elmogy M, et al. What nonresponse to intracavernous injection really indicates: a determination by quantitative analysis. J Urol 2002; 167:192-196. A good response to an intracaverneus injection test rules out venous leakage, a failed erectile response to the test in the office setting may not be completely representative of the patient's erectile state. A non-response to an office intracavernous injection test in an older patient with ED of long duration is most likely caused by venous leakage.
30. Golubinski AJ, Sikorski A. Usefulness of power Doppler ultrasonography in evaluating erectile dysfunction. BJU Int 2002; 89:779-782.
31. Park K, Kwon DD, Oh BR, et al. Efficacy of virtual glasses in audio-visual sexual stimulation during penile color duplex Doppler ultrasonography. Eur Urol 2002; 41:62-65. Audio-visual sexual stimulation with virtual glasses is effective in improving the recording of penile haemedynamics during penile colour duplex Doppler ultrasonography.
32. Speel TG, Bleumer I, Diemont WL, et al. The value of sildenafil as mode of stimulation in pharmaco-penile duplex ultrasonography. Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:189-191.
33. Bacar MM, Batislam E, Altinok D, et al. Sildenafil citrate for penile hemodynamic determination: an alternative to intracavernosal agents in Doppler ultrasound evaluation of erectile dysfunction. Urology 2001; 57:623-626; discussion 626-627.
34. Bhargava R, Srivastava DN, Thulkar S, et al. Colour duplex Doppler ultrasonography evaluation of non-vasculogenic male erectile dysfunction: an Indian perspective. Austral Radiol 2002; 46:170-173.
35. Speel TG, van Langen H, Wijkstra H, Meuleman EJ. Penile duplex pharmaco-ultrasonography revisited: revalidation of the parameters of the cavernous arterial response. J Urol 2003; 169:216-220.
36. Teh HS, Lin MB, Tsou JY, et al. Penile colour duplex ultrasonography as a screening tool for venogenic erectile dysfunction. Ann Acad Med Singapore 2002; 31:166-169. PPDU is accurate in the assessment of venogenic ED. It can replace cavernometry and cavernosogram as a screening tool. Cavernometry and cavernosogram should only be performed in cases in which PPDU suggests venogenic impotence, and when surgery is contemplated.
37. Kayigil O, Metin A. Relaxation degree: a new concept in erectile dysfunction. Int Urol Nephrol 2001; 33:391-394.
38. Mulhall JP, Damaser MS. Development of a mathematical model for the prediction of the area of venous leak. Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:236-239.
39. Talic RF, Al-Damegh SA. Post traumatic high-flow arterial priapism. The need for increased awareness among health care professionals. Saudi Med J 2000; 21:382-385.
40. Ciampalini S, Savoca G, Buttazzi L, et al. High-flow priapism: treatment and long-term follow-up. Urology 2002; 59:110-113.
41. Munarriz RM, LaSalle MD, Goldstein I. Penile revascularization for treatment of erectile dysfunction secondary to blunt perineal trauma. Urology 2003; 61:222-223.
42. Bellorofonte C, Dell'Acqua S, Mastromarino G, et al. Penile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Arch Ital Urol Androl 1994; 66:187-193.
43. Pretorius ES, Siegelman ES, Ramchandani P, Banner MP. MR imaging of the penis. Radiographics 2001 (suppl); 21:S283-S298; discussion S298-S299.
44. Karama S, Lecours AR, Leroux JM, et al. Areas of brain activation in males and females during viewing of erotic film excerpts. Hum Brain Mapp 2002; 16:1-13.
45. Rodrigues M, O'Grady J, Stackl W, et al. Accumulation of platelets as a key mechanism of human erection. Thromb Res 1998; 91:53-56.
46. Suh DD, Yang CC, Clowers DE. Nocturnal penile tumescence and effects of complete spinal cord injury: possible physiologic mechanisms. Urology 2003; 61:184-189. Spinal regulation is critical for nocturnal erectile activity, and the isolated thoracic cord is less effective than the isolated cervical cord in maintaining NPT.
47. Basar MM, Atan A, Tekdogan UY. New concept parameters of RigiScan in differentiation of vascular erectile dysfunction: is it a useful test? Int J Urol 2001; 8:686-691.
48. Yilmaz E, Yaman O, Bozlu M, et al. Comparison of nocturnal penile tumescence monitoring and cavernosal smooth muscle content in patients with erectile dysfunction. Int Urol Nephrol 2002; 34:117-120.
49. Schrader SM, Breitenstein MJ, Clark JC, et al. Nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity testing in bicycling patrol officers. J Androl 2002; 23:927-934.
50. Ku JH, Song YS, Kim ME, et al. Is there a role of radial rigidity in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction? Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:200-204.
51. Suzuki K, Sato Y, Horita H, et al. The correlation between penile tumescence measured by the erectometer and penile rigidity by the RigiScan. Int J Urol 2001; 8:594-598.
52. Kurokawa K, Suzuki T, Suzukl K, et al. Preliminary results of a monitoring system to confirm the preservation of cavernous nerves. Int J Urol 2003; 10:136-140.
53. Lindsey I, Cunningham C, George BD, Mortensen NJ. Nocturnal penile tumescence is diminished but not ablated in postproctectomy impotence. Dis Colon Rectum 2003; 46:14-19.
54. Maniam P, Seftel AD, Corty EW, et al. Nocturnal penile tumescence activity unchanged after long-term intracavernous injection therapy. J Urol 2001; 165:830-832.
55. Rochira V, Granata AR, Balestrieri A, et al. Effects of sildenafil on nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity in normal men: randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study. J Androl 2002; 23:566-571.
56. Terradas C, Levalle O, Nagelberg A, Mormandi E. Sildenafil improves nocturnal penile erections in organic impotence. Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:125-129.
57. Guay AT, Spark RF, Jacobson J, et al. Yohimbine treatment of organic erectile dysfunction in a dose-escalation trial. Int J Impot Res 2002; 14:25-31.
58. Hatzichristou DG, Apostolidis A, Tzortzis V, et al. Effects of oral phentolamine, taken before sleep, on nocturnal erectile activity: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study. Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:303-308.
59. Mann K, Pankok J, Leissner J, Benkert O. Effects of moclobemide on sexual performance and nocturnal erections in psychogenic erectile dysfunction. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2001; 156:86-91.
60. Labbate LA, Brodrick PS, Nelson RP et al. Effects of bupropion sustained-release on sexual functioning and nocturnal erections in healthy men. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2001; 21:99-103.
61. Kunelius P, Lukkarinen O, Hannuksela ML, et al. The effects of transdermal dihydrotestosterone in the aging male: a prospective, randomized, double blind study. Clin Endocrinol Metab 2002; 87:1467-1472.
62. Oliva A, Giami A, Multigner L. Environmental agents and erectile dysfunction: a study in a consulting population. J Androl 2002; 23:546-550.
63. Erbagci A, Yagci F, Sarica K, et al. Evaluation and therapeutic regulation of erectile dysfunction with visual stimulation test. An objective approach by using sildenafil citrate test. Urol Int 2002; 69:21-26.
64. Wylie KR, Steward D, Walters SJ. Does vibration offer any advantage over visual stimulation studies (VSS) in the assessment of erectile capacity? Int J Impot Res 2001; 13:329-337.
65. Diemont WL, Meuleman EJ. Neurological testing in erectile dysfunction. J Androl 1997; 18:345-350.
66. Nehra A, Moreland RB. Neurologic erectile dysfunction. Urol Clin North Am 2001; 28:289-308.
67. Lue TF. Neurogenic erectile dysfunction. Clin Auton Res 2001; 11:285-294.
68. Amarenco G, Ismael SS, Bayle B, et al. Electrophysiological analysis of pudendal neuropathy following traction. Muscle Nerve 2001; 24:116-119.
69. Shafik A, El-Sibai O. The anocavernosal erectile dysfunction syndrome. II Anal fissure and erectile dysfunction. Int J Impot Res 2000; 12:279-283.
70. Kempler P. Clinical presentation and diagnosis of diabetic neuropathy. Orv Hetil 2002; 143:1113-1120.
71. Yang CC, Bradley WE. Reflex innervation of the bulbocavernosus muscle. BJU Int 2000; 85:857-863.
72. Fishel B, Chen J, Alon M, et al. Pudendal nerve conduction to evaluate organic erectile dysfunction. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2001; 80:885-888.
73. Seftel A. The value of testing pudendal nerve conduction in evaluating erectile dysfunction in diabetics. J Urol 2001; 165:711.
74. Zhu GY, Shen Y. Application of pudendal evoked potentials in diagnosis of erectile dysfunction. Asian J Androl 1999; 1:145-150.
75. Lefaucheur JP, Yiou R, Colombel M, et al. Relationship between penile thermal sensory threshold measurement and electrophysiologic tests to assess neurogenic impotence. Urology 2001; 57:306-309.
76. Bleustein CB, Eckholdt H, Arezzo JC, Melman A. Effect of location and sensory test for the clinical neurological evaluation of the penis [abstract]. J Urol 2003; 169 (Suppl.):324, A1259.
77. Pagani M. Hypertension, stress and erectile dysfunction: potential insights from the analysis of heart rate variability. Curr Med Res Opin 2000; 16 (Suppl. 1):S3-S8.
78. Wagner G, Gerstenberg T, Levin RJ. Electrical activity of corpus cavernosum during flaccidity and erection of the human penis: a new diagnostic method? J Urol 1989; 142:723-725.
79. Kellner B, Stief CG, Hinrichs H, Hartung C. Computerized classification of corpus cavernosum electromyogram signals by the use of discriminant analysis and artificial neural networks to support diagnosis of erectile dysfunction. Urol Res 2000; 28:6-13.
80. Jiang XG, Speel TG, Wagner G, et al. The value of corpus cavernosum electromyography in erectile dysfunction: current status and future prospect. Eur Urol 2003; 43:211-218.
81. Yilmaz U, Soylu A, Ozcan C, et al. Evoked cavernous activity. J Urol 2002; 167:188-191. Testing evoked cavernous activity seems more reliable for determining autonomic involvement in the pathophysiology of ED.