The use of shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction: a feasibility study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the value of SWE in evaluating vascular and nonvascular erectile dysfunction. In this study, ED patients enrolled (n = 114) received SWE and PCUD exams. The PSV and EDV were used as the classification standard. The performance of the SWE was assessed with the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity and specificity. The rigidity alterations of corpus cavernosum penis with age was also investigated. SWE values of CCP before ICI negatively correlated with age of patients in vascular ED group (r = -0.288, P<0.05). In erectile or flaccid state, the SWE value of vascular ED was significantly larger than non-vascular ED. When the cut-off value for SWE values of CCP 0.88 m/s in erectile state and 2.32 m/s in flaccid state, the areas under the ROC curve were 0.700 (sensitivity: 77.78%, specificity: 60.00%) and 0.612(sensitivity: 68.52%, specificity: 51.67%) in erectile or flaccid state, respectively. This study provides preliminary evidence that SWE in flaccid state could be non-invasive methods used to moderate predict vascular ED.