[Clinical application of RigiScan monitoring in the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction in the plateau area].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the applicability of RigiScan monitoring data in the diagnosis of ED in the plateau area and evaluation of clinical therapeutic effects.

METHODS

This study included 586 outpatients and inpatients with ED, aged 18－48 (mean 24.6) years, all confirmed according to the scores on the 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and subjective description and treated in Xining First People's Hospital. We performed audiovisual sexual stimulation (AVSS) and nocturnal penile tumescence and rigidity (NPTR) tests by RigiScan monitoring and hierarchical diagnosis of those with abnormal AVSS and NPTR findings. After 1 to 6 months of individualized treatment with PDE5i drugs and a month of drug withdrawal and psychological intervention, we repeated the AVSS test and analyzed the data obtained in comparison with the IIEF-5 scores and subjective description of the patients before and after treatment.

RESULTS

Of the 586 patients, 3 were found normal and 583 abnormal (without effective erection, i.e., penile tip rigidity <60% and <10 min) in the AVSS test, while the repeated NPTR test showed 57 normal (with effective erection, i.e., penile tip rigidity ≥60% and ≥10 min). A total of 116 patients gave up the NPTR test. Altogether 410 of the cases were found without effective erection in the NPTR test before treatment, 207 (50.5%) with mild ED, 176 (42.9%) with moderate ED and 27 (6.6%) with severe ED. Of the 410 patients, based on the result of the repeated AVSS test after treatment, 255 (62.2%, including 172 cases ［42.0%］ of mild ED and 83 cases ［20.2%］ of moderate ED) were shown with effective erection, 124 (30.2%, including 35 cases ［8.5%］ of mild ED, 77 cases ［18.8%］ of moderate ED and 12 cases ［2.9%］ of severe ED) were significantly improved (P < 0.05), and the other 31 (7.6%, including 16 cases ［3.9%］ of moderate ED and 15 cases ［3.7%］ of severe ED) remained unchanged. The IIEF -5 score was remarkably increased after treatment compared with the baseline (18.62 ± 2.96 vs 11.62 ± 3.64, P < 0.05), and the erectile function and erection-control ability of the patients, according to their subjective description, were markedly improved after treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

RigiScan with AVSS and NPTR tests can objectively assess the severity of ED, screen its causes and evaluate the effects of medication and psychological intervention for patients in plateau areas.