Background: Tadalafil is a PDE-5 (phosphodiesterase inhibitor) inhibitor that supports
endogenous nitric oxide's vasodilatory actions and aids in erection maintenance. The penile
duplex has proven to be very useful for imaging superficial structures and for determining
the reasons of erectile dysfunction (ED).
Objectives: To assess the effect of daily oral tadalafil 5mg for 3 months on penile duplex
parameters in erectile dysfunction patients.
Patients and Methods: A case control study involved 30 Egyptian patients ED. Appropriate
clinical history and penile duplex examination before and after treatment with daily oral
tadalafil mg for 3 months were performed.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 53.17 ± 7.8 years. We founded that there was
significant (p < 0.001) improvement in the level of erection after treatment. The rate of
erection E1 and E2 was decreased from 53.3% to 3.3%. Likewise, the rate of E3-E5 was
increased from 46.7% to 96.7%. Moreover, the mean duration of erection was elongated
from 24.7 ± 5.3 to become 37.4 ± 3.8 and this was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Also,
the mean peak systolic volume (PSV) was significantly (p = 0.001) increased after treatment
(38.4 ± 9.1 cm/s) compared with the pre-treatment levels (23.9 ± 6.1 cm/s). Unlikely, the
mean end diastolic volume (EDV) was insignificantly (p = 0.340) lower in post-treatment
(2.25 ± 0.5 mL) compared with pre-treatment levels (2.97 ± 0.4 mL). Likely, the mean
resistant index (RI) showed insignificant difference (p = 0.965) after treatment (0.9 ± 0.02)
compared with before treatment (0.9 ± 0.08). For penile artery diameter, there was
significant (p = 0.009) increase in the diameter after treatment (0.9 ± 0.1 mm) compared
with before treatment (0.8 ± 0.1 mm).
Conclusion: Oral daily tadalafil 5mg for 3 months is considered an effective treatment for
ED according to penile duplex parameters.