PHALLOGRAPHY - TECHNIQUE AND RESULTS OF NOCTURNAL TUMESCENCE MONITORING

Phallography, or nocturnal tumescence monitoring, is a relatively new technique to measure and record nocturnal erections. The technique is most useful in differentiating between organic male erectile disability and psychogenic impotence. It is a relatively simple procedure and the equipment is available commercially. Of 40 recordings done on 17 patients 35 were adequate for interpretation. Six patients had total erectile failure, 9 had various erectile disabilities and 2 were normal. The 2 patients with normal erections represented psychogenic erectile disability. The technique is reliable and can be recommended for general use to separate organic from psychogenic impotence and to define different types of erectile disability.