SpringerLink
Log in

Use of thermographic imaging for the evaluation of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease

  • Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Impotence Research Submit manuscript

  • 1 Altmetric

Abstract

Thermographic imaging is a technique to measure infrared radiation to report temperature and has been used in prior research to assess sexual arousal by measuring genital temperature. We hypothesized this can be used quantitatively to assess erectile function. We conducted an observational clinical trial of this technique by performing thermographic imaging in the flaccid and erect state and compared these values with hemodynamic measurements performed by penile Doppler/duplex ultrasound (PDDU). We also hypothesized that in men with Peyronie’s disease (PD), the plaque would be visible on thermographic imaging and took thermographic measurements in this area for patients with PD. Any man scheduled to undergo PDDU in our urology clinic was approached for recruitment. PDDU was performed by one of two experienced urologists. We recruited 30 men for this study. Seven of these men had PD. The change in measured temperature between flaccid and erect states correlated significantly with the peak systolic velocity r = 0.46 (p = 0.025). In the seven men with PD the mean change in temperature of the plaque was +0.9 °C versus +2.1 °C in the normal penis (p = 0.28). Thermographic imaging shows a significant correlation with objective hemodynamic measurements on PDDU.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
EUR 32.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or Ebook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Data availability

Additional data are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

References

  1. Ayta IA, McKinlay JB, Krane RJ. The likely worldwide increase in erectile dysfunction between 1995 and 2025 and some possible policy consequences. BJU Int. 1999;84:50–6. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.00142.x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Kessler A, Sollie S, Challacombe B, Briggs K, Van Hemelrijck M. The global prevalence of erectile dysfunction: a review. BJU Int. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.14813.

  3. Casabe A, Bechara A, Cheliz G, De Bonis W, Rey H. Risk factors of Peyronie’s disease. What does our clinical experience show? J Sex Med. 2011;8:518–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02072.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Segundo A, Glina S. Prevalence, risk factors, and erectile dysfunction associated with Peyronie’s disease among men seeking urological care. Sex Med. 2020;8:230–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esxm.2019.11.002.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Al-Thakafi S, Al-Hathal N. Peyronie’s disease: a literature review on epidemiology, genetics, pathophysiology, diagnosis and work-up. Transl Androl Urol. 2016;5:280–9. https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2016.04.05.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  6. Weidner W, Schroeder-Printzen I, Weiske WH, Vosshenrich R. Sexual dysfunction in Peyronie’s disease: an analysis of 222 patients without previous local plaque therapy. J Urol. 1997;157:325–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5347(01)65370-9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Kendirci M, Nowfar S, Gur S, Jabren GW, Sikka SC, Hellstrom WJ. The relationship between the type of penile abnormality and penile vascular status in patients with Peyronie’s disease. J Urol. 2005;174:632–5. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000165161.79624.f5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Serefoglu EC, Trost L, Sikka SC, Hellstrom WJ. The direction and severity of penile curvature does not have an impact on concomitant vasculogenic erectile dysfunction in patients with Peyronie’s disease. Int J Impot Res. 2015;27:6–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2014.25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Lue TF, Hricak H, Marich KW, Tanagho EA. Vasculogenic impotence evaluated by high-resolution ultrasonography and pulsed Doppler spectrum analysis. Radiology. 1985;155:777–81. https://doi.org/10.1148/radiology.155.3.3890009.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Quam JP, King BF, James EM, Brakke DM, Ilstrup DM, Parulkar BG, et al. Duplex and color Doppler sonographic evaluation of vasculogenic impotence. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1989;153:1141–7. https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.153.6.1141.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Fornara P, Gerbershagen HP. Ultrasound in patients affected with Peyronie’s disease. World J Urol. 2004;22:365–7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-004-0424-x.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Kukkonen TM, Binik YM, Amsel R, Carrier S. Thermography as a physiological measure of sexual arousal in both men and women. J Sex Med. 2007;4:93–105. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2006.00399.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kukkonen TM, Binik YM, Amsel R, Carrier S. An evaluation of the validity of thermography as a physiological measure of sexual arousal in a non-university adult sample. Arch Sex Behav. 2010;39:861–73. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-009-9496-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Tavares IM, Vardasca R, Cera N, Pereira R, Nimbi F, Lisy D, et al. A review of infrared thermography as applied to human sexual psychophysiology. Int J Psychophysiol. 2018;133:28–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.09.001.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Lahiri BB, Bagavathiappan S, Jayakumar T, Philip J. Medical applications of infrared thermography: a review. Infrared Phys Technol. 2012;55:221–35.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  16. Butaney M, Thirumavalavan N, Hockenberry MS, Kirby EW, Pastuszak AW, Lipshultz LI. Variability in penile duplex ultrasound international practice patterns, technique, and interpretation: an anonymous survey of ISSM members. Int J Impot Res. 2018;30:237–42. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-018-0061-3.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  17. Jung DC, Park SY, Lee JY. Penile Doppler ultrasonography revisited. Ultrasonography. 2018;37:16–24. https://doi.org/10.14366/usg.17022.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Smith JF, Brant WO, Fradet V, Shindel AW, Vittinghoff E, Chi T, et al. Penile sonographic and clinical characteristics in men with Peyronie’s disease. J Sex Med. 2009;6:2858–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01438.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Somers KD, Dawson DM. Fibrin deposition in Peyronie’s disease plaque. J Urol. 1997;157:311–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Davis CJ Jr. The microscopic pathology of Peyronie’s disease. J Urol. 1997;157:282–4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Theodore Crisostomo-Wynne, Alexandria Hertz & Ronald J. Caras

  2. Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA

    Trevor Maloney

  3. Multicare Health System, Tacoma, WA, USA

    Jack Walter

Authors
  1. Theodore Crisostomo-Wynne
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Alexandria Hertz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Trevor Maloney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jack Walter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ronald J. Caras
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

TCW: Conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, writing – review, and editing. AH: Conceptualization, investigation. TM: writing original draft. JW: Methodology, investigation, supervision. RC: Writing – review and editing, supervision.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theodore Crisostomo-Wynne.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by the Madigan Army Medical Center institutional review board for human subject research. Informed consent was obtained from all subjects prior to conducting the study.

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Crisostomo-Wynne, T., Hertz, A., Maloney, T. et al. Use of thermographic imaging for the evaluation of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease. Int J Impot Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-024-00950-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-024-00950-2

  • Springer Nature Limited

Search

Navigation