COMPARATIVE-STUDIES OF THE INDUCTION OF ERECTILE RESPONSE TO FILM ANDFANTASY IN DIABETIC MEN WITH AND WITHOUT NEUROPATHY

The present study deals with the diabetic neuropathies prevailing in m en. In this investigation 100 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDD M) and 314 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients wi th and without an objective evidence of neuropathy, having an age span in between 15 and 60 years and a duration of diabetes distributed ove r 1-33 years, were included along with their age-matched nondiabetic c ontrols. The diabetic subjects were evaluated for the induction of ere ctile responses. Investigation of induction of erectile responses to e rotic stimulation by film and fantasy revealed striking results in dia betic patients with established neuropathy. Both IDDM and NIDDM patien ts with neuropathy exhibited a highly significant decrease (P < .0005) in penile diameter and length, penile arterial pulse amplitude, both systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and heart rate compared to con trols of the same age group. However, both IDDM and NIDDM patients wit hout neuropathy showed a nonsignificant difference in the above-mentio ned parameters compared to control subjects. A nonsignificant associat ion of induction of erectile responses to erotic stimulations among ID DM and NIDDM patients with and without neuropathy was also observed, s uggesting that impotence and altered erectile responses are likely to be associated with an increased frequency to autonomic neuropathy in t hese patients irrespective of their type of diabetes.