Relation between coronary insufficiency and penile arterial circulation

ABSTRACT

Erectile dysfunction [ED] is a common condition and studies predict that it will become even more common in the future. There is increasing evidence to suggest that it is predominantly a vascular disease and may even be a marker for occult cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to detect the prevalence of penile artery affection in patients with proven ischemic heart disease. The present study included 44 patients diagnosed to have IHD, recruited from the Cardiology department. The ages ranged form 33 - 64 years with a mean of 51.45 +/- 7.7. All patients were subjected to complete history taking and clinical evaluation, standard 12-leads ECG, echocardiography, stress ECG with or without imaging and coronary angiography. Dynamic penile duplex examination for the cavernous arteries was performed. Rigiscan was done in three sessions to confirm the diagnosis of organic erectile dysfunction. Penile duplex study showed that 26 [59.1%] patients had arteriogenic erectile dysfunction and 18 [40.9%] had non arteriogenic erectile dysfunction of which 5 were normal and 13 had venogenic erectile dysfunction .i.e 39 patients [88.6%] had vasculogenic erectile dysfunction. An association was found between the functional classes of chest pain and different groups studied [p value < 0.05]. Also there was a highly statistical significant difference between the mean level of PSV in single and multi vessel coronary artery disease [CAD] [p value < 0.01], but there was no association between the number of vessels affected and different groups studied [p value > 0.05]. Our recommendation that we should perform the sexual consultation for every IHD patient due to high incidence of vasculogenic ED