Organic Causes Of Erectile Dysfunction Research Articles

DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF ENDOCRINE DISORDERS OF ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

Organic causes of erectile dysfunction with androgen deficiency may be associated with aging, systemic illness, and a number of specific endocrine disorders stemming from pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal dysfunction. Central hypogonadism is the main mechanism in the majority. Erectile dysfunction in diabetes mellitus is caused by chronic complications due to poor metabolic control. Diagnosis and management of these disorders are discussed, as is the need for tight glycemic control in men with diabetes.

Recovery of erectile function by the oral administration of apomorphine

Objectives. Apomorphine has been reported to be effective in causing erections in animals and man when administered parenterally. The side effects, notably nausea, have seriously limited its clinical usefulness. We formulated apomorphine for controlled sublingual absorption and herein report on four preliminary studies evaluating efficacy and side effects in men with no documentable organic cause of erectile dysfunction. Methods. Patients complaining of erectile dysfunction underwent a careful evaluation. Those with measurable organic dysfunction or known organic factors were excluded. Men with primarily psychogenic impotence were tested with one of four protocols of an apomorphine preparation (preliminary sublingual liquid, preliminary 5 mg tablet, aqueous nasal spray, and new 3 and 4 mg controlled absorption tablets). The erectile response of these men to the drug with visual erotic or sexually neutral stimulation was studied with the Rigiscan. Results. Seven of 10 evaluable patients responded to the sublingual liquid preparation but the majority experienced significant nausea. The preliminary 5 mg tablet and aqueous forms did not produce useful responses free of side effects. The newly formulated controlled absorption 3 and 4 mg tablets were tested in 12 men. Eight of 12 (67%) developed erections in response to apomorphine. Erectile activity was seen during sexually neutral visual stimulation to a significantly greater extent than with placebo. Home trial use was found to be successful and sustained by 7 of 11 (64%) patients. Conclusions. We have shown that apomorphine will act as an erectogenic agent when absorbed through the oral mucosa. In a carefully selected group of impotent patients with no documentable organic causes of erectile dysfunction, but with proven erectile potential, 67% will experience significantly durable erections with a dose of 3 or 4 mg of apomorphine when formulated for controlled absorption. The results in these small groups appear to justify larger clinical studies of this proprietary formulation.

Penile Pharmacological Duplex Ultrasonography: A Dose-Effect Study Comparing Papaverine, Papaverine/Phentolamine and Prostaglandin E1

Alternations of penile blood flow are believed to be the most frequent organic cause of erectile dysfunction. Penile duplex ultrasonography following intracavernous injection of a vasoactive agent is an accepted method for diagnosis of penile vascular dysfunction. To determine the diagnostic efficacy of commonly used vasoactive drugs we studied the hemodynamic effects of different dosages of papaverine, the combination of papaverine and phentolamine, and prostaglandin El in men with erectile dysfunction and men with normal erectile potency using color duplex ultrasonography. We concluded that 12.5mg. papaverine and 10 μg. prostaglandin El are the drugs of choice to be used in conjunction with penile duplex ultrasonography because of optimal effects on cavernous arterial dilatation and low risk of prolonged erection. However, low dose papaverine or prostaglandin El has a limited value in evaluating veno-occlusive function.