Qualitative study of sexual functioning in couples with erectile dysfunction: prospective evaluation of the thermography diagnostic system.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prospective use of the thermography diagnostic system in assessing sexual function in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED).


METHODS
Thermographs were taken on 14 subjects in a clinical trial conducted at Tan Tock Seng Hospital. After a thorough clinical interview with a standardized questionnaire, patients were scanned for baseline temperature profile before being given an oral dose of sildenafil 100 mg. Subjects were scanned again in the same setting an hour later. If so desired, subjects were given visual stimulation and were allowed minimum direct stimulation, excluding the penis, to elicit erection. Temperature profiles were analyzed using the thermography analysis software in the VarioCAM camera.


RESULTS
Three representative cases are presented to illustrate the potential for using the Infrared thermography (IR) diagnostic system in differentiating psychogenic ED. IR was able to capture a significant difference in blood flow to the corpus cavernosum. Subjects with psychogenic ED have higher surface temperatures (34.3 degrees C +/- 0.71 in the flaccid state and 35.3 degrees C +/- 0.2 during erection) compared to subjects with organic ED (33.64 degrees C +/- 0.4 in flaccid and 33.55 degrees C +/- 0.91 during erection). The difference in surface temperature between flaccid and erected states in subjects with organic ED was not significant.


CONCLUSIONS
The proposed diagnostic test based on IR has tremendous clinical potential in differentiating psychogenic ED from organic ED. IR could potentially be a portable, noninvasive and convenient adjunct in the diagnosis and management of ED.
Ng
Wan Kee
WK
Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
Ng
Yin Kwee
YK
Tan
Yung Khan
YK
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010410:Penile Erection / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010879:Piperazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011687:Purines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013817:Thermography / Q000295:instrumentation*
D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate