title: A sign of arteriogenic insufficiency on penile Doppler sonography: retrograde flow in penile cavernosal-spongiosal communications.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Meselik, 26480 Eskisehir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ulas Savas
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Yavas
authors.forename: Cuneyt
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calisir
authors.forename: Tamer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Nevbahar Akcar
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Degirmenci
mesh_terms: 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*