[Hormonal aspects of erectile dysfunction].

Organic erectile dysfunction may be due to vascular, local, neurogenic, or hormonal disturbances. Various ascertainments of basal levels of testosterone, prolactin, and other hormones produced inconsistent results, although hyperprolactinemia and hypogonadism have been shown to be associated with erectile dysfunction. Recent studies by means of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) revealed not only clinical but also endocrinological connections between erectile dysfunction and depression. These results suggest possible multiendocrinological alterations in some of the patients suffering from erectile dysfunction, similar to those obtained in depressive disorders.