Value Of Nocturanl Penile Tumescence Test In Diagnosis Of Erectile Dysfunction

Obejctive: To evaluate interference factors during performing Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) testing, and the types of NPT rescults, improve the reliability in diagnosis of ED.Methods: 272 out-patients with primary diagnosis of erectile dysfunction were examined. These patients'penile erection state were evaluated by using the IIEF-5 questionnaire and NPT testing. Then next morning the results of NPT testing was recorded. After the interference factors were eliminated, patients with abnormal results were given repeated detection.Results:1. primary NPT testing were performed in 272 patients, and the results of 252 cases were valid with achievement ratio 92.65%, of which 122 cases were normal. Then 43 patients with abnomal results were given second detection, of which 12 cases were normal accounting for 27.91%, 31 cases were abnormal accounting for 72.10%. Besides, the third detection were done 2 cases ,with the results 1 normal, 2 abnormal.2. The results of 20 patients were invalid with the inefficiency 7.19%, of which 5 patients were due to factors of device, 3 fracture of sensor ring, and 12 misoperation.3. The results of NPT testing can be divided into normal, abnormal and invalid graphics.4. The effective erectile event duration is correlative with IIEF's scores with Pearson correlation factor 0.201 (P<0.05).5. There were significant differences between the first record and repeated results, of effective erection numbers, erectile rigidity and its duration.Conclusion:1. NPT testing has the adanvantage of convenience, easiness to operation, non-invasion, and good compliance in diagnosis of erectile dysfunction.2. NPT testing can be primarily applied to differentiate organic erectile dysfunction from psychological erectile dysfunction.3. With the normal results of NPT testing, we can identify psychological erectile dysfunction; with the abnormal results, we should consider of interference factors during NPT testing. The factors can be classified into 3 types : device factor, operation factor and patients factor. In the dectection, we should inform patients of how to using the device correctly, and judge abnormal results, eliminate interfence factors as far as possible.4. Patients with first abnormal result should be given second or third detection. 5. IIEF questionnaire is a useful diagnostic tool for ED, but its application is not so objective. The score of IIEF is correlated with ercetile duration, not with erectile rigidity and frequency.During this analysis, we had just differentiated organic and psychological erectile dysfunction, and made a definite diagnosis of some cases of organic erectile dysfunction.