Treatment of erectile dysfunction after kidney transplantation with intracavernosal self-injection of prostaglandin E1.

PURPOSE

We evaluate the results of treatment of erectile dysfunction in kidney transplant patients with intracavernosal self-injection of vasoactive drugs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We evaluated and treated 26 male kidney transplant patients for erectile dysfunction. All patients had stable kidney function 6 to 75 months (mean 26.6 +/- 9) after transplantation. Each patient received an intracavernosal injection of 20 microg. prostaglandin E1 (PGE1), and after 20 to 30 minutes the response was assessed. Nonresponders received 40 microg. PGE1 at another visit, and those who showed no response were reinjected with 40 microg. PGE1 plus 30 mg. papaverine hydrochloride. A total of 21 patients were enrolled in a self-injection program and have been followed between 3 and 21 months (mean 11.6 +/- 2.7).

RESULTS

Hormonal alterations were seen in 7 patients with serum testosterone as low as 16.6 ng./ml. (normal 33 to 100), and testosterone injections gave only marginal response in 2. Intracavernosal injection of 20 microg. PGE1 provided good response in 15 patients (57.7%), while 40 microg. PGE1 alone or in combination with 30 mg. papaverine resulted in good response in another 6 and 2 patients, respectively. Among the 21 patients who were enrolled in the self-injection program 19 (90.5%) reported complete satisfaction with no adverse local or systemic complications except for local pain at the injection site in 4. There has been no change in serum creatinine, cyclosporine level or doses of immunosuppression medications during the observation period.

CONCLUSIONS

Intracavernosal self-injection of PGE1 is well accepted and tolerated by kidney transplant patients. It poses no apparent risks to the transplanted kidney and could be a good modality to treat erectile dysfunction in kidney transplant recipients.