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

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.