A pilot study of penile hemodynamics in men with penile curvatures

Penile curvature (PC) is bothersome to the patient. PC is either congenital or acquired. In most of the circulatory system, blood flows in a laminar profile with minimal energy expenditure. When a fluid passes in a curved tube, the laminar profile is disturbed and changed into a turbulent flow. It increases the energy expenditure and reduces the flow. Turbulent flow may have a role in the development of an atherosclerotic plaque and in localizing its site. The aim of this research was to study penile hemodynamics before and after correction of PC. This prospective study included 20 participants, with PC more than 30°. For each participant, preoperative color duplex doppler ultrasonography (CDDU), correction of the curvature using 16 dot plication technique and post-operative CDDU were done. Furhtermore, arterial systolic velocity was estimated distal to the site of curvature/correction every 5 min for 25 min. The degree of curvature ranged from 30° to 90° with a mean of 55±18.98. Comparative study between the preoperative and post-operative data proved a significantly higher postoperative peak systolic velocity distal to the site of correction, whereas CDDU data had insignificant differences. We concluded that correction of PC is associated with improvement of penile arterial blood flow distal to the site of correction.