Erectile dysfunction in patients with atherosclerotic lesions of the aortoiliac segment and arteries of the lower limb

OBJECTIVE. In patients with atherosclerotic lesions of the aortoiliac segment and arteries of the lower extremities, to evaluate the correlation between the prevalence of occlusive-stenotic lesions of the arteries supplying the penis and the severity of erectile dysfunction.

METHODS AND MATERIALS. The retrospective study included 66 men aged from 45 to 76 years (mean age 61.8±6.5 years) with aneurysmal and/or occlusive-stenotic lesions of the aortoiliac segment, arteries of the lower extremities, who upon admission to the vascular department of the Pavlov University in the period from 2020 to 2025, erectile function was assessed based on a questionnaire of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) and catheter arteriography of the pelvis was performed in three projections. The patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (n=13) included patients with unilateral hemodynamically significant lesion along of common, internal iliac or internal pudendal arteries; group 2 (n=43) included patients with bilateral lesions along the indicated arteries, as well as of the infrarenal aorta; the 3rd (n=10), control group, consisted of patients without hemodynamically significant lesion of the arteries supplying the penis.

RESULTS. Erectile dysfunction was suffered by 54 (82 %) patients, of which 19 (29 %) had moderate to severe severity. There was no statistically significant correlation between the total score on the IIEF-5 scale and the scores of arterial lesion prevalence; a statistically significant weak inverse correlation with the age of the patients was established.

CONCLUSION. The prevalence of occlusive-stenotic lesions of the arteries supplying the penis does not play a leading role in the severity of erectile dysfunction.

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