Color Doppler flow imaging diagnosis and treatment selection for erectile dysfunction.

BACKGROUND

Targeted therapy for erectile dysfunction (ED) involves fewer screening tests and provides a variety of treatment choices for patients. Although the advantage of targeted therapy in diagnosis and therapy for ED has been recognized, the rational mode for oriented ED therapy has not been established. This study aimed to investigate targeted diagnosis and therapy for ED.

METHODS

A total of 198 patients with ED were included in the study. After intracavernosal vasoactive agent injection was given, color Doppler flow imaging was performed and penile rigidity was classified as Schramek grade 5 (10 minutes duration), grade 4 (10 minutes duration), grade 3 and grade 2, defining four patient groups as group V (143 cases), group IV (23 cases), group III (18 cases), and group II (14 cases). Appropriate and acceptable treatment was recommended to patients according to erection grade.

RESULTS

In 198 patients with ED, the peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index in the cavernosal artery and dorsal artery and the flow velocity in the deep dorsal vein were not significantly different before injection (P > 0.05). After injection, peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, and resistance index in the cavernosal artery were different among the four groups (P < 0.05). Between each two groups, the difference in resistance index was significant (P < 0.05). The statistical differences in other indexes were not significant (P > 0.05). Selective targeted therapy based on erection grade by color Doppler flow imaging improved the clinical satisfaction rate to 91.91% (182/198).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the routine diagnosis of ED, blood flow indexes in the cavernosal artery are measured by color Doppler flow imaging following minimally invasive intercavernosal injection, which is combined with the Schramek grade of erection. The most appropriate and acceptable treatment is recommended according to the different groups, which improves the clinical satisfaction of treatment for ED and is an ideal model of targeted diagnosis and treatment.