Disorders of erectile function

Abstract

The definition of erectile dysfunction (ED) is the inability to attain or maintain a penile erection of sufficient quality to allow for satisfactory sexual activity (NIH Consensus Conference 1993). The Massachusetts Male Aging Study, observing men aged 40-70 years, found that 35% of men reported moderate or complete erectile dysfunction and up to 52% of men had experienced ED at some stage (Feldman et al. 1994). Severity and prevalence increase with age, with an estimated 20-30 million men in the USA affected by ED (Benet and Melman 1995). There are many reasons for the onset of ED, including vascular causes, some of which can be treatable. Ultrasonography (US) plays an important role in the evaluation of penile pathology, and the assessment of ED, as US provides a truly dynamic investigation through all the phases of an erectile response, in real-time circumstances denied to other imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance. High-frequency small parts linear transducers allow interrogation of the gray-scale anatomy and vascular components of the normal and diseased penis. Images can be obtained with few artifacts, in a noninvasive manner and without exposure to ionizing radiation.