A sign of arteriogenic insufficiency on penile Doppler sonography: retrograde flow in penile cavernosal-spongiosal communications.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of determining retrograde flow in the penile cavernosal-spongiosal communications (CSCs) with Doppler sonography.


METHODS
Thirty-two consecutive men with erectile dysfunction (mean age, 40 years; range, 19-61 years) underwent penile color Doppler sonography. All patients were evaluated for flow direction in the CSCs.


RESULTS
Eight of the 32 patients had normal Doppler sonographic findings; 8 had signs of veno-occlusive dysfunction; and 16 had arterial insufficiency. Doppler sonographic examinations of the patients with normal Doppler sonographic findings (100%) and veno-occlusive dysfunction (100%) showed a normal direction of flow in the CSCs. Thirteen of the 16 patients with arterial insufficiency had a normal direction of flow in the CSCs; however, reversal of the flow direction in the CSCs (from the urethral artery back to the cavernosal artery) was observed in the remaining 3 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Investigating the direction of flow in the cavernosal artery, CSCs, and urethral artery is not time-consuming and may help establish an accurate diagnosis of arteriogenic impotence, especially in patients with borderline peak systolic flow velocity values.
Yavas
Ulas Savas
US
Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Meselik, 26480 Eskisehir, Turkey.
Calisir
Cuneyt
C
Kaya
Tamer
T
Degirmenci
Nevbahar Akcar
NA
D000328:Adult; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*