Intracavernous injection of prostaglandin E1 plus procaine in the treatment of erectile dysfunction

Abstract

Despite the availability of prostaglandin E1 for more than 7 years as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool in patients with erectile dysfunction, the problem of penile discomfort after prostaglandin E1 application has remained unsolved. In a randomized, double-blind, crossover study we investigated the effect of 2 different prostaglandin E1-procaine concentrations on 24 patients suffering from pain following intracorporeal injection of prostaglandin E1 alone. Intracavernous injection of 20 micrograms. prostaglandin E1 with 10 mg. procaine (study 1) failed to improve local painful sensations. The combination of 20 micrograms. prostaglandin E1 with 20 mg. procaine (study 2) decreased the incidence of local pain significantly (p < 0.01). These preliminary results show that the combination of prostaglandin E1 plus procaine represents a beneficial alternative in patients with penile pain due to the single substance.