Reproducibility of penile arterial colour duplex ultrasonography.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the reproducibility of penile arterial colour duplex ultrasonography (CDU) in patients with impotence.


METHODS
Fifty-eight patients underwent CDU of their penile arteries on two occasions 2 weeks apart. Group A (n = 34) received 60 mg of papaverine intracavernosally before CDU and group B (n = 24) received a combination of papaverine, prostaglandin E1 and phentolamine. The variables measured during CDU were peak systolic velocity (PSV) and the end diastolic velocity (EDV), with the systolic rise-time (SRT) also recorded in group B.


RESULTS
In both groups of patients the reproducibility between the first and second recordings was poor for all variables. The mean variation in PSV was 31.5% and 40.2%, and in EDV was 44.9% and 50.1%, for groups A and B, respectively. For the SRT, measured only in group B, the mean variation was 25.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
These results show that CDU is a poorly reproducible technique for assessing vascular status in patients with impotence. Therefore, it is not reliable in the long-term follow-up of patients and single measurements should be interpreted with caution.
Mills
R D
RD
Department of Urology, The Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, UK.
Sethia
K K
KK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000494:pharmacology; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010208:Papaverine / Q000494:pharmacology; D010410:Penile Erection; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010646:Phentolamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D010208:Papaverine; D000527:Alprostadil; D010646:Phentolamine