Production of penile veno-occlusive insufficiency by arterial occlusion in a canine model.

Angiographic evaluation of impotent men revealed a frequent association between penile arterial disease and veno-occlusive insufficiency of the corpora cavernosa. In order to evaluate a possible cause-and-effect relationship, we investigated the competence of the cavernosal veno-occlusive mechanism in a canine model at various intervals after onset of cavernosal ischemia. In most dogs, the veno-occlusive mechanism could no longer be activated by papaverine after about 30 minutes of ischemia. If ischemia was relieved shortly thereafter, veno-occlusive competence returned after a further delay of one or two hours. The evidence suggests that veno-occlusive failure is not simply a hemodynamic consequence of loss of arterial inflow, but instead secondary to some ischemic injury. We conclude that arterial insufficiency may be one of the causes of cavernosal veno-occlusive insufficiency in humans.