The Intracavernous Injection of Papaverine as a Diagnostic Procedure in Patients With Erectile Dysfunction

Abstract

To evaluate the use of papaverine-induced erection as a diagnostic test in men with erectile dysfunction, 24 patients had papaverine injected into the corpus caver-nosum. The results of the papaverine test in combination with the tentative diagnosis, based upon patient history, clinical examination and peno-brachial pressure index, gave in most cases sufficient information about the function of the penile vessels to decide in which patients a selective arteriography or a cavernosography was indicated. Two patients developed priapism after the papaverine injection.

Key Words:

• Erectile dysfunction
• Intracavernous papaverine test
• Diagnostic test in impotence