SUMMARY :
The diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to impotence have remarkably changed
during the last decade. Recently prostaglandin E1 have been used for both purposes.
In this prospective study, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) was used for diagnostic and
therapeutic purposes in 39 men with erectile dysfunction, whose wives are attending
the infertility outpatient clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Lagos. Prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) intracavernous application in varying doses resulted
in an erection sufficient for sexual intercourse in n = 26 (61.0 %) of cases.
Out of this n = 26, n = 18 with primary and secondary infertility who desired
pregnancy were followed for 6 to 9 months in respect of pregnancy. A total of
7 pregnancies were recorded. In order to differentiate between vascular and
non vascular impotence, 7,5 mg PGE1 were found to be sufficiently high and safe
dose for the first intracavernous injection. Side effect, like discomfort ranging
from mild to severe pain after injection was recorded in n = 15 (30 %) of patients.
No case of priapism resulted in this dose except at dose of 20 mg PGE1.