Penile Ultrasound

Penile ultrasound is commonly used in the diagnostic workup of a patient with erectile dysfunction (ED), but also plays an important role by providing an anatomic and functional vascular assessment in a multitude of other conditions including Peyronie’s disease, high-flow priapism, penile fracture, penile urethral strictures, urethral stones, or diverticulae, or masses involving deep tissues of the penis. As a component of the evaluation for ED, penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU) is performed to assess the quality of arterial blood flow and sufficiency of veno-occlusive mechanisms, both necessary for an adequate erection. More recently, this imaging modality is playing a central role in the early detection and diagnosis of otherwise silent coronary artery disease (CAD) in men presented with ED as their initial symptom. PDU is also an essential component of the assessment of external genitalia in trauma situations where high-flow priapism or penile fracture is suspected. Penile ultrasound provides a readily available, minimally-invasive diagnostic modality that evaluates both the structural anatomy and functional hemodynamics at a reasonable cost.