Treatment of intracorporeal injection nonresponse with sildenafil alone or in combination with triple agent intracorporeal injection therapy.

PURPOSE

We assess the efficacy of sildenafil as salvage therapy for intracorporeal injection therapy nonresponse.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study group comprised 93 patients with a mean age of 53.6 years (range 24 to 77) with chronic erectile dysfunction. In all cases a home trial of intracavernosal injection of high dose alprostadil and triple agent intracavernosal injection therapy had failed. Patients were treated with sildenafil citrate alone or in combination with intracavernosal injection therapy.

RESULTS

The etiology of erectile dysfunction was arteriogenic in 29 cases, cavernosal venous leakage in 36, mixed vasculogenic in 24, psychogenic in 3 and post-priapism intracavernous fibrosis in 1. Of the 32 sildenafil responders (34% of the study group) 30 required 100 and 2 required 50 mg. The 29 sildenafil intracavernosal injection (combined therapy) responders (31% of the study group) required 100 mg. sildenafil. There were 32 nonresponders (34% of the study group). Mean International Index of Erectile Function questions 3 and 4 scores were 1.7 and 1.5 at baseline, 2.3 and 1.9 with intracavernosal injection, 4.6 and 42.2 with sildenafil, and 4.1 and 4.10 with combined therapy, respectively. Of the 93 patients 29 (31%) treated with intracavernosal injection reported adverse effects, including penile pain in 27, dizziness in 5 and headache in 2. Of the patients treated with sildenafil 34 (37%) reported side effects, including headache in 30, facial flushing in 25, dyspepsia in 12, nasal congestion in 9, dizziness in 5 and visual disturbances in 1. Of the 41 patients given combined therapy 20 (49%) reported adverse effects, including penile pain in 15, headache in 15, facial flushing in 12, dyspepsia in 7, nasal congestion in 3, dizziness in 12 and syncope in 1.

CONCLUSIONS

Sildenafil alone or sildenafil plus intracavernosal injection is effective salvage therapy for intracavernosal injection nonresponse. Sildenafil in combination with intracavernosal injection is associated with a 33% incidence of adverse effects, including a 20% incidence of dizziness.