Assessment of the immediate and long-term effects of pharmacologically induced penile erections in the treatment of psychogenic and organic impotence.

Thirty-eight patients with predominantly organic and 29 with psychogenic impotence had intracavernosal injections of a combination of 30 mg papaverine and 1 mg phentolamine on at least one occasion. An immediate increase in length and penile rigidity resulted in all subjects. Eighteen of the organic patients subsequently developed spontaneous erections for periods ranging from 1 week to 1 month. Nineteen of the 24 patients in the psychogenic group had spontaneous erections, five for at least 4 months and 14 for 2 to 8 weeks. Increasing the dose was of benefit only to organic patients who initially had a poor response. Three of eight patients with a poor immediate response to pharmacologically induced penile erections (PIPE) were found to have venous incompetence. PIPE is therefore of value in the diagnosis and treatment of organic and psychogenic impotence.