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Erectile
Dysfunction In HCV Patients During
Interferon Therapy: Is It Organic Or
Psychic?!
MOUTAZ DERBALA*, MAMDOUH FARID, ALIAA
AMER**
FROM THE UROLOGY DEPARTMENT FACULTY OF
MEDICINE AL AZHAR UNIVERSITY, GASTROENTROLOGY DEPARTMENT * AND
HAEMATOLOGY DEPARTMENT** THEODORE
BILHARZ RESEARCH INSTITUTE-EGYPT.
Sexual dysfunction during interferon (IFN)
has been previously reported. The exact
cause is not fully investigated.
Objective: To clarify the relation if
any., between IFN therapy and erectile
dysfunction in non-cirrhotic HCV
patients.Methods: 37 naive adult, male
patients with chronic HCV receiving IFN
3mu thrice weekly in combination with
ribavirin,were assessed before and after
treatment for serum levels of
testestrone, FSH, LH, Prolactin, fT4 and
TSH. Rigiscan was done for those who
were complained from erectile
dysfunction and they were subjected to
duplex ultrasound on penile arteries and
veins before and after intra-corporeal
injection of 20 microgram prostaglandin
E1.Results: End treatment response
achieved in 15patients, but only 27% (
10 patients could retain negative
viremia at follow up period.(
40.5%)Impotence was reported in 9
patients (24%), 3 of them showed
abnormal rigiscan that did not change
signficantly after treatment. Duplex
ultrasound showed venous leak in 2
patients and arterial insufficiance in
the third one. No statistically
signficant changes was noted in hormone
levels apart from testestrone , which
showed signficant decrease ( P <0.001),
though still within the physiological
range.There was no signficant relation
with response rate, histopathological
changes, or hematological changes (
during treatment) and sexual complaints.
Conclusion: IFN therapy does not lead to
organic sexual dysfunction or sex
hormone disturbance. The ascribed
symptoms are probably psychogenic or due
to fatigue and asthenia associating IFN
therapy.
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