INTRODUCTION: RigiScan™ penile monitoring can be used in the provocative (real-time) setting.
However, normative data are limited. The goals of the present prospective study were to (1) generate preliminary data on the range of responses of real-time penile monitoring during audio-visual sexual stimuli (AVSS) in healthy, potent men, and (2) determine if there was an association between real-time erectile rigidity in response to AVSS and self-reported measures of erectile function.
METHODS: The participants were 25 potent men. Their ages ranged from 19-58 years. They were arbitrarily divided into younger (< 40 years) and older (≥ 40 years) groups for outcome measure comparisons. An International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) erectile domain score was obtained. RigiScan™ monitoring was used to record erectile responses of penile tumescence and rigidity to AVSS. A qualified erectile event was defined as penile rigidity > 60% for 3 or more minutes.
RESULTS: The mean IIEF score for all participants was 29.3, with no significant difference between the younger or older groups (P = .95). Three men had no measureable erectile activity in response to the AVSS. For the remaining 22 men, measurable erectile activity ranged from 3-20.5 minutes. The mean time of measurable rigidity was 12.0 minutes and 11.9 minutes for the younger and older groups, respectively. Age and total erection time had a weak negative correlation (Pearson r = -.31). Ten participants (40%) achieved a qualified event of 60% rigidity. A total of 7 of the 15 participants in the younger group and 3 of the 10 participants in the older group had a qualified event. There was no significant difference in IIEF scores between participants with and without qualified events (P = .35).
CONCLUSION: Preliminary results indicate that real-time penile tumescence and rigidity monitoring in potent, healthy males during AVSS is highly variable and not necessarily corroborated by IIEF scores. This variability limits the utility of provocative mode RigiScan™ for determining potency for clinical purposes. A 60% rigidity criteria for a qualified event may underestimate potency. However, the RigiScan™ may still be effective for studies of erectile physiology.
Henry Gottsch
KEYWORDS: Penis; Rigidity; Monitoring; Potent; Men
CORRESPONDENCE: Henry Gottsch, MD, University of Washington, Dept of Urology, 1959 NE Pacific St, BX 356510, Seattle, WA 98195-6510, USA ( ).
CITATION: UroToday Int J. 2010 Apr;3(2).
doi: 10.3834/uij.1944-5784.2010.04.15