1. ¹Department of Urology, Suez Canal University, School of Medicine, Ismailia, Egypt
2. ²Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

Correspondence: AI El-sakka, Andrology Clinic, Diabetic Centre, Al-Noor Specialist Hospital P.O. Box 6251 Makkah, Saudi Arabia. E-mail: aielsakka@yahoo.com

Received 29 December 2002; Revised 26 January 2003; Accepted 12 March 2003.

Abstract

We investigated the characteristics of erectile dysfunction (ED) in ambulatory Saudi patients. A total of 680 male patients were assessed for ED using IIEF. Patients were also interviewed for sociodemographic data, medical history and risk factors for ED. Assessment for penile vasculature using color Doppler ultrasonography and rigidometer was performed. In all, 21.4% of the patients with severe ED were <50 y and 78.6% of them were 50 y (P<0.001). Of the patients, 20% had psychogenic, while 80% had organic causes of ED. Of the patients, 10% had mild, 39.3% had moderate and 50.7% had severe ED. There was a significant association between increasing severity of ED and the presence of diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, smoking, increased BMI, increased values of EDV, decreased values of PSV, RI and rigidometer (P<0.001 for each). Moderate to severe ED is common among Saudi patients. This study provides a quantitative estimate of the characteristics of ED in ambulatory Saudi patients.