title: Differences in Cavernosal Artery Parameters According to Different Anatomic Sampling Locations During the Diagnosis of Vascular Erectile Dysfunction Using Duplex Ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish a standard location for examining penile cavernosal arteries (CAs) using dynamic duplex Doppler ultrasound (PDDU) examination in the diagnosis of non-arterial erectile dysfunction (ED) or arterial insufficiency.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two groups of 105 patients each were enrolled. The first group (age 56.3 ± 6.0 years) displayed clinical patterns of arterial insufficiency; the second group (age 35.2 ± 4.7 years) displayed clinical patterns of non-arterial ED. The patients had their peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI = PSV - EDV/PSV × 100), and acceleration time of the CAs measured using PDDU at the crura and at the midpoint between the penoscrotal junction and the coronal sulcus (mid penis). Intra- and interoperator variability were assessed. The PSV, RI, acceleration time, and EDV data obtained from the penoscrotal junction or from the "mid penis" in group 1 and in group 2 were compared using analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The PSV, EDV, and acceleration time were significantly higher when measured at the crura penis than when measured at the "mid penis" in both groups, whereas the RI was higher at the "mid penis" than at the "crura." Thus, arterial ED was better diagnosed with the data from the mid penis, whereas non-arterial ED was better diagnosed at the "crura."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The location of the sampling site of the CAs using PDDU is critical for a correct diagnosis of ED.
authors.affiliation: Centro Medico Ambrosiano, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pezzoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Andrology, Ospedale di Circolo e Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio Ildefonso
authors.initials: FI
authors.lastname: Scroppo
authors.affiliation: Gynepro Medical Team, Andrological Section, Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: giorgiocavallini@libero.it.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cavallini
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology