Colour doppler sonography of the penis in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction: Our experience in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an inability to achieve and maintain erectile rigidity sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. It is either organic or psychogenic in origin. This study was aimed at establishing vasculogenic causes among patients being evaluated for ED using triplex Doppler Ultrasound. Patients and Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Radiology, Federal Medical Centre, Abuja, Nigeria from July 2015 to January 2017. Thirty-five consecutive patients with the clinical diagnosis of ED were evaluated with colour Doppler ultrasound scan using a high-frequency linear transducer. The penile scan was done before and after intracavernosal injection of 10–20 μg prostaglandin E1. The waveforms of cavernosal arteries (CAs) were obtained alternately using angle of inclination ≤60°. The spectral waveforms and peak systolic velocities (PSV) of the CA were documented at 5-min intervals, from 5 to 50 min. Results: PSV of CA varied between 19.5 and 104.4 cm/s (mean: 42.4 ± 17.6) among the entire patients and between 19.5 and 24.7 cm/s (mean: 21.9 ± 1.7) among patients with arteriogenic ED. Arteriogenic ED was found in six patients (17%), while venogenic ED was observed in ten patients, which constituted 29% of the entire participants. None had combined arteriogenic and venogenic ED. Peyronie's disease was observed in seven patients, and none of these had vasculogenic ED. Conclusion: About 46% of the patients had vasculogenic ED. It is therefore imperative that patients with ED benefit from this safe, cheap and non-ionising diagnostic modality before initiating therapy as ED treatment is cause specific.

Keywords

• doppler ultrasound
• erectile dysfunction
• prostaglandin e1