Duplex ultrasound. This test uses high-frequency sound waves to make images of body tissues. Doctors can use the ultrasound to evaluate blood flow and check for signs of a venous leak, atherosclerosis, or tissue scarring. This test is performed while the penis is erect (usually induced by an injection of a drug that stimulates erection) and also while it is flaccid.
Bulbocavernosus reflex. This test evaluates nerve sensation in the penis. During the test, your doctor will squeeze the head of your penis, which should immediately cause your anus to contract. If nerve function is abnormal, there will be a delay in response time.
Nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT). This test measures a man's erectile function while he is sleeping. Normally, a man will have five or six erections during each night's sleep. The absence of these nighttime erections could indicate a problem with nerve function or circulation. Doctors perform the snap-gauge method of nocturnal penile tumescence by wrapping three plastic bands of varying strength around the penis. Erectile function is then measured based on which of the three bands break. The strain gauge method works by placing elastic bands around the tip and base of the penis. If the penis becomes erect during the night, the bands stretch, measuring the changes in penile circumference.
Penile biothesiometry. This test uses electromagnetic vibration to determine sensitivity and nerve function. A decreased sensitivity to these vibrations may indicate nerve damage.
Vasoactive injection. During this test, doctors produce an erection by injecting special solutions that cause the blood vessels to dilate, allowing blood to enter the penis.
Dynamic infusion cavernosometry. During this test, doctors can determine the severity of venous leak by pumping the penis full of fluid and measuring how much fluid is needed to keep a penis erect.
Cavernosography. Radiographic contrast is added to the fluid that's pumped into the penis during a dynamic infusion cavernosometry. X-rays that detect the contrast then show the location of a venous leak.
Arteriography. Doctors inject contrast into the artery of candidates for vascular reconstructive surgery, a technique that circumvents a blockage by transferring an artery from an abdominal muscle to the problem area. The contrast allows doctors to see the blocked blood vessels by X-ray.
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