Quantitation of Corporeal Venous Outflow Resistance in Man by Corporeal Pressure Flow Evaluation

We describe a technique that allows us to quantify intracorporeal penile venous resistance in papaverine-induced erections. By increasing intracorporeal pressure to greater than the mean arterial pressure by cavernous perfusion with Ringer's lactate solution we can control and measure cavernous flow and pressure, and, therefore, calculate venous resistance. We evaluated 78 impotent men and 6 controls with this method. The most important measure of the integrity of the venous resistance mechanism and of the ability to obtain an adequate erection was a post-distension steady state pressure of 50 mm. Hg or more and a venous outflow resistance of 20 mm. Hg minute per cc or more. Our method aids in the clinical evaluation of the etiology of erectile impotence.