Evaluation of penile perfusion by color-coded duplex sonography in the management of erectile dysfunction

Abstract

The etiology of erectile dysfunction is wide ranging. Penile vascular disorders may result in impaired erection or complete impotence. Almost 30% of erectile dysfunction is due to the presence of systemic disease which affects the blood supply to the penis. The intracavernosal injection test with prostaglandin E1 alone offers limited information on the vascular status. In accordance with the increasing demand for less invasive procedures, penile color-coded duplex sonography (CCDS) combined with the pharmaco-erection test represents a first-line noninvasive approach to investigate arterial and veno-occlusive function. Peak systolic velocity and a change in cavernous artery diameter are indicators of arterial inflow, while the pathological end diastolic velocity and resistance index point out veno-occlusive dysfunction. The combined investigation of power and standard color Doppler ultrasound may yield more details of penile vascular anatomy.