Early Experience of Clitoral Color Duplex Doppler Ultrasonography with Audiovisual Sexual Stimulation

Park, Kwang sung; Min, Kyung dai; Ryu, Soo Bang

Abstract

PURPOSE: Female sexual dysfunction may have its origin in abnormal blood flow into the clitoris during sexual stimulation. There have been few studies to measure the clitoral blood flow by color duplex Doppler ultrasonography. The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic values of clitoral color duplex Doppler ultrasonography with audiovisual sexual stimulation (AVSS).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Clitoral color duplex Doppler ultrasonography was performed during AVSS with glasses-type monitor. A total of fourteen women were included in the study; five premenopausal volunteers (mean age; 35, range; 24-50), five sexual arousal disorder patients (mean age; 38, range; 31-45) and four menopausal volunteers (mean age; 53, range; 47-56). Peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic velocity (EDV) and resistance index (RI) of clitoral cavernosal arteries were measured during AVSS in each patients.
RESULTS
In the premenopausal volunteer group, PSV of clitoral arteries (mean SD) showed 38.7 +/- 9.7cm/sec, EDV 14.9 +/- 3.2cm/sec, RI 0.59 +/- 0.04, respectively. PSV of clitoral arteries decreased to 27.3 9.6cm/sec in sexual arousal disorder group, 18.1 +/- 6.5cm/sec in menopausal group. PSV significantly decreased in menopausal group (p<0.05) compared to the premenopausal volunteer group, but RI did not be changed significantly.
CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that clitoral duplex Doppler ultrasonography with AVSS may be used to evaluate clitoral arterial function in the female sexual dysfunction patients. However, further studies are needed in a large group to define normal clitoral blood flow parameters.