PROSTAGLANDIN-E1 IN ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION - EFFICIENCY AND INCIDENCE OF PRIAPISM

Summary— Prostaglandin E1 (PG E1) was used for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in 149 men with erectile dysfunction over a period of 20 months (February 1987‐October 1988). The intracavernous application of PG E1 in varying doses resulted in an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse in 79% of cases. In order to differentiate between vascular and non‐vascular impotence, 5 pg PG El were found to be a sufficiently high and safe dose for the first intracavernous injection. Local discomfort, ranging from mild to severe pain after injection, was recorded in 40% of patients. A significant difference in severe side effects was found between arterial, venous and non‐vasculogenic impotence, the highest incidence of local pain occurring in non‐vasculogenic patients. The most striking result was the occurrence of 4 cases of priapism, all in the non‐vascular group, 1 of these occurring after the injection of only 5 μg PG El. © 1990 British Journal of Urology