COMPARISON BETWEEN PENILE SYMPATHIC SKIN-RESPONSE (PSSR) AND CORPUS-CAVERNOSUM-EMG (CC-EMG) IN ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION

A comparision between penile sympathic skin response (PSSR) and corpus cavernosum-EMG (cc-EMG) was done in 67 patients. Spontaneous potentials of cc-EMG were blocked by intracavernous injection of PGE1 whereas PSSR was not influenced, demonstrating 2 electrical phenomena. Prolonged latencies in PSSR in patients with diabetes mellitus and radical pelvic surgery were favorable for PSSR in detecting peripheral nerve damage. In lumbar spine damage, bursts as a sign of a disturbed sympathic-parasympathic coordination could only be detected by cc-EMG. Both examinations in combination are a first step for a limited access to penile autonomic innervation in erectile dysfunction.