Abstract
Erectile dysfunction (ED) is common in men with spinal cord injury. We report the case of a 59-year-old man who experienced low back pain after a motorcycle accident in 2016. Initially, he was treated in the neurology department, but after he complained of ED, he was referred to the andrology department. The patient's account of his medical history and the results of the physical examination were not suspicious for ED; however, his International Index of Erectile Function score was 5, his Erection Hardness Score was 2, and his Partial Androgen Deficiency of the Aging Male score was "yes." The results of laboratory and other tests, including magnetic resonance imaging, showed that the spinal cord lesions were located from the lumbar 3 segment to the sacral 1 segment. The patient had a type 2 lesion, which fortunately left the reflexogenic and psychogenic erection centers intact, ensuring that enough nitric oxide was produced to enable an erection. The patient was successfully treated with a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor to inhibit the degradation of nitric oxide and thus provide a rigid and long-lasting erection. The medication was continued, and physiotherapy was performed to strengthen lower body motor function.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Medical Case Reports |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
| Pages | 351-357 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781536168853 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781536168846 |
| Publication status | Published - 14 Feb 2020 |
Keywords
- Andrology
- Erectile dysfunction
- Low back pain
- Spinal cord injury