[Intracavernous pharmacotherapy for organic impotence in the elderly]

Vasoactive intracavernous pharmacotherapy (VIP) has become an important tool for the treatment of erectile impotence. The average age of patients treated has been only 59 years and the oldest, 79. We describe the results of VIP in the oldest group of patients described. 28 men, 65-84 years old (average 70), were treated for organic impotence with intracavernous injections of a mixture containing 25 mg/ml papaverine HCl and 0.83 mg/ml phentolamine. Treatment was started with an injection of 0.25 ml of the mixture, with increments of 0.25 ml until there was functional erection, or untip a total of 1.5 ml was injected. Full erection was obtained in 46.5%, while in 40.0% there was a mild nonfunctional erection and in 13.4% no reaction to treatment. The response to the injection was similar in the different etiologic groups. There were no complications, such as prolonged erections or adverse reactions to the drugs injected. We conclude that elderly men seek help in order to have normal sexual function. We therefore think that VIP has a definite place in the treatment of impotence of the elderly.