[Analysis of blood flow of penile cavernous artery in 2 568 cases of erectile dysfunction]

To analyze the blood flow parameters of the cavernous arteries of ED patients after injection of vasoactive drugs, and to explore the differences in blood flow of the cavernous arteries in different erectile states.

Retrospectively analyzed the penile cavernous arterial blood flow parameters of 2568 adult male ED patients after injection of the vasoactive drug (alprostadil). The patients were divided into three groups: maintaining erection group with EHS (erection hardness score) ≥ 3 and sustained erection time ≥ 20 minutes (967 cases), nonpersistent erection group with EHS≥3 and sustained erection time<5 minutes (788 cases), and incomplete erection group with EHS<3 (813 cases). Compared the parameters of age, EHS, duration of erection, cavernous artery peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) among the three groups respectively. The maintaining erection group was divided into the youth group (757 cases) which aged less than 40 years old and the middle-aged and elderly group (210 cases) with 40 years old or over. The parameters of PSV, EDV and RI between the two groups were compared. The incomplete erection group were divided into the good blood supply group (407 cases) with the bilateral PSV ≥35cm/s and the insufficient blood supply group (252 cases) with the bilateral PSV<35cm/s. The parameters of age, EHS, EDV and RI between the two groups were compared.

The age, PSV, EDV and RI of the three groups were significantly different (P<0.01). In the maintaining erection group, the PSV of the young group was significantly higher than that of the middle-aged and elderly group (P<0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in EDV and RI (P>0.05). In the incomplete erection group, the EHS, PSV, EDV, and RI of the good blood supply group were significantly higher than those of the insufficient blood supply group (P<0.05), while the age was significantly lower than that of the latter (P<0.01).

The injection of vasoactive drugs combined with color Doppler ultrasound can directly reflect the blood supply of the cavernous arteries of the penis. The better the erection state, the better the blood supply of cavernous arteries. The middle-aged and elderly people are more likely to have cavernous arteries problem of insufficient blood supply than the young people.