A comparison of radioisotope erection penogram, penile angle and nocturnal penile tumescence test

Kim, Kap Byung; Choi, Jong Geun; Cho, Moon Hwan; Rhew, Hyun Yul

Abstract

Intracavernous papaverine injection may be the first step in the assessment of the impotent patient Since measurement of the rigidity requires a sophisticated procedures that may not be available to the majority of the practitioners, we attempted to find an objective method to evaluate the results or this common test. We tested 44 patients complaining of impotence and 2 normal potent men with intracavernous injection of 30mg. papaverine and measured the angle between the penis and the legs with the patient in the standing position and obtained radioisotope erection penogram. Various penogram indexes were calculated from the time activity curve and their usefulness was evaluated and was compared with the findings of nocturnal penile tumescence. The papaverine test can distinguish between the vasculogenic and psychogenic impotent patients. Measurement of the erectile angle after intracavernous injection of papaverine is a simple, objective and reliable method to evaluate patients with vascular impotence. The penogram indexes were significantly correlated with the penile arterial inflow and venous outflow during erection. but not significantly correlated with nocturnal penile tumescence test.