JUDGMENT OF COLOR DOPPLER ULTRASOUND WITH RESPECT TO CAVERNOUS ARTERY-OCCLUSION PRESSURE IN DYNAMIC - INFUSION CAVERNOSOMETRY WHEN EVALUATING ARTERIOGENIC IMPOTENCE

This prospective study was designed to compare the parameters obtained by color Doppler ultrasound to cavernous artery occlusion pressure me asured by dynamic pharmacoinfusion cavernosometry in evaluating arteri al components of erectile dysfunction. Four indexes were determined as parameters of sonography to indicate arterial competence. Indexes 1 a nd 2 reflected peak systolic velocities with respect to the cut-off va lues 25 and 30 cm/s after pharmacological stimulation with 60 mg papav erine hydrochloride respectively. Index 3 was the percentage of diamet er changes in cavernosal arteries which was expected to be >75%. The s um of the percents of increases in diameters of both cavernosal arteri es which should be >200, formed index 4. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and accuracy rates were 76, 100, 100 and 90 % for index 2. These values were 50, 100, 100 and 71% for index 1. Ver y low statistical values were obtained for indexes 3 and 4. Although t he gold standard in the diagnosis of arterial impotence is pharmaco an giography, color Doppler sonography using the parameter peak systolic flow rate >30 cm/s may be a reliable, easily obtained, noninvasive tec hnique for evaluating arterial components of erectile dysfunction.