Single potential analysis of cavernous electrical activity.

Recording of cavernous electric activity was performed in 178 patients with erectile dysfunction and in 37 normal patients. In 34/37 normal patients, potentials of a uniform shape were recorded during flaccidity: At cut-off frequencies of 0.5-500 Hz, the length was 8-18 (mean 12.8, SD 2.8), the amplitude 250-750 (mean 444, SD 109) microV, and the polyphasity 8-22 (mean 13.8, SD 3.3). In impotent patients with upper motor neuron lesions or peripheral lesions, specific types of potentials were observed. In 11/14 impotent patients with insulin-dependent diabetes for over 20 years and clinical findings of cavernous myopathy, potentials showed low amplitude, irregular shape, and slow depolarizations. In 51% of the consecutive impotent patients, abnormal findings of cavernous electric activity were recorded. Our clinical study suggests that single potential analysis of cavernous electric activity (SPACE) may be useful in the diagnosis of cavernous autonomic neuropathy and cavernous smooth muscle myopathy.