J Korean Androl Soc.  1994 Dec;12(2):127-132.

SPACE in Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction

• Park HK
• Chung TG
• Choi EH
• Ahn TY

Abstract

Cavernous electromyography and its evolution, single potential analysis of cavernous electrical activity(SPACE), have been investigated to discriminate between normal and abnormal findings. The aim of our study was to determine the SPACE findings using surface electrodes in impotent patients with presumed diabetic neuropathy and to see the utility of SPACE as a noninvasive diagnostic modality in neurogenic erectile dysfunction. SPACE was performed in 108 patients with erectile dysfunction, among whom were 46 diabetic patients who showed full tumescence or rigidity with intracavernosal injection of a triple mixture of vasoactive drugs(papaverine+phentolamine+PGE1). The mean age of the 46 diabetic patients was 61.6 years, and the mean duration of their diabetes mellitus was 9.7 years. We used unilateral surface electrode recording(SPACE 7500, WIEST) with a frequency range of 0.3 to 32 Hz, an amplitute range of +2,000microN, and a paper speed of 5mm/sec. The majority of the patients showed irregular potentials with low amplitudes or low-frequency, low-amplitude potentials. So far, the results of our study are not conclusive and show variable diversity. It appears that cavernous electromyography needs more clinical and basic investigation before it can be used as a diagnostic method for erectile dysfunction.

MeSH Terms

Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetic Neuropathies
Electrodes
Electromyography
Erectile Dysfunction*
Humans
Male
Penile Erection
Physiology