Imaging for evaluation of erectile dysfunction

Penile erection is a complex phenomenon that includes coordinated intraaction of the nervous, arterial, venous, and sinusoidal systems. A defect in any of these systems may result in erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction is defined as the consistent inability to generate or maintain an erection of sufficient rigidity for sexual intercourse. Although the introduction of sildenafil citrate made the information from imaging studies less critical in the management of the patients with erectile dysfunction, still the imaging studies such as Doppler US, penile arteriography, and cavemosonetry/cavemosography remain the major modalities in the evaluation of erectile dysfunction.