Feasibility of dynamic 3-D color Doppler ultrasound for imaging penile vascular change in renal transplant patients with erectile dysfunction responding to sildenafil.
Renal transplant recipients (RTRs) have a high incidence of erectile dysfunction (ED). Differentiation of penile vasculogenic impotence from other causes is important for treatment. Conventional 2-D color Doppler assessment after intracavernosal stimulant injection often fails to produce reliable results because of limited views by the cross-sectional imaging and the painful procedure. In comparison to the findings in three healthy volunteers, we determined cavernosal vascular hemodynamics in eight RTRs with ED before and after oral sildenafil by using live 3-D ultrasound and dynamic 3-D color Doppler. Results showed that, before sildenafil, penile arterial flow signals could only be reliably detected in one patient. After sildenafil, all had reliably detectable flow with grades II to III erection. Our data suggest that 3-D volumetric changes of the penis and its vasculature during erection can be studied by this technique and that this method could be useful for the evaluation of new drugs and therapeutic biofeedback.
Chatterjee
Ratna
R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University College London, London, UK. r.chatterjee@ucl.ac.uk
Deng
Jing
J
Pellerin
Denis
D
Todd-Pokropek
Andrew
A
Neild
Guy H
GH
Lees
William R
WR
Rodeck
Charles H
CH
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011687:Purines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate