RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAVERNOSAL ISCHEMIA AND CORPORAL VENOOCCLUSIVE DYSFUNCTION IN AN ANIMAL-MODEL

Purpose: It has been postulated that cavernosal tissue ischemia second ary to arterial occlusive disease is associated with corporal veno-occ lusive dysfunction. The goal was to correlate, for the first time, dir ect local intracavernosal blood flow measurements as a measure of cave rnosal tissue perfusion with the integrity of corporal veno-occlusion in an animal model of vasculogenic impotence. Materials and Methods: T he New Zealand White rabbit model of vasculogenic impotence was utiliz ed (7 control, 9 atherosclerotic). After 16 weeks, intracavernosal blo od flow was recorded directly by laser Doppler flowmetry. The relation ships among peak intracavernosal blood flow, equilibrium intracavernos al pressure and corporal veno-occlusive function (as determined by int racavernosal pressure decay) were examined. Results: Significant diffe rences in the atherosclerotic compared to control animals were noted i n iliac artery blood flow (12 +/- 4 vs 31 +/- 7 ml./min.), peak intrac avernosal blood flow during erection (16 +/- 7 vs 25 +/- 4 ml./min./10 0 gm. tissue), equilibrium intracavernosal pressure (48 +/- 11 vs 72 /- 6 mm. Hg) and intracavernosal pressure decay (57 +/- 17 vs 36 +/- 8 mm. Hg). Peak intracavernosal blood flow during erection was found si gnificantly related to both equilibrium pressure (r = 0.75) and cavern osal pressure decay (r = -0.8). Conclusions: Abnormal intracavernosal blood flow (cavernosal ischemia) secondary to arterial occlusive disea se predicts abnormal veno-occlusive function and poor erection quality .