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Gravity cavernosometry and assessment of complete smooth muscle relaxation: helpful in the differential diagnosis of
1Department of Urology, City Hospital De Bijloke, Ghent, Belgium.
Objective:
To establish whether the relationship between cavernosal pressures and gravitational pressures of infused liquid during gravity cavernosometry is linear when complete smooth muscle relaxation is achieved and whether the determination of this relationship could be helpful in the differential diagnosis between organic and functional cavernous leakage.
Methods:
Gravity cavernosometry was performed in 50 impotent patients. The cavernosal pressure was measured at at least four different gravitational pressures of the infused liquid.
Results:
A linear relationship was obtained in all patients with normal maximal cavernosal pressure at gravity cavernosometry. A flat or nonlinear relationship was found in those with abnormal maximal pressure, whatever the cause of cavernous leakage.
Conclusions:
A linear relationship between cavernosal and gravitational pressures characterizes complete smooth muscle relaxation during gravity cavernosometry. However, the usefulness of the determination of this relationship is not yet established.