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Penile Blood Flow by Xenon-133 Washout

Nuclear Medicine Service, Urology Section, and Geriatric Section, Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia

Correspondence: For reprints contact: P. Gary Katz, MD, Urology Section, Veterans Administration Medical Center, Richmond, VA 23249.

ABSTRACT

Penile erectile failure is often attributed to abnormalities of vascular supply or drainage, but few direct measurements of penile blood flow have been made. We describe the xenon washout method for measurement of penile blood flow, and present the results obtained in a group of normal and impotent subjects. The procedure was performed with standard nuclear imaging equipment. Flaccid-state penile blood flow in the impotent patients studied was not significantly different from the normal group, suggesting that flaccid-state measurements may not be helpful in evaluation of erectile failure. However, this method can be used to measure penile venous out flow with stimulated or induced erection, and may provide a method for detecting abnormal venous leakage.