Peyronie's disease: a "triple oxygenant therapy".

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of upregulators of nitric oxide in one patient with Peyronie’s disease, after non significant improvement following intracavernosal verapamil.

Methods: A 20-years-old Caucasian male presented with penile induration in flaccid state, persistent during erection and associated with mild pain at third middle of penis. After treatment with intracavernosal verapamil for 4 months with relief of penile discomfort, followed by counseling on the use of penile extender for at least 6 hours per day, he was prescribed pentoxifylline associated with tadalafil plus levo-arginine, propionil-carnitine and Vitamin B3.

Antegrade subinguinal sclerotization with temporary clamping of the spermatic cord: a new surgical technique for varicocele.

Objectives: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the duration, effectiveness, and complications associated with a new operating technique for varicocele, using a subinguinal surgical approach and antegrade sclerotization of the spermatic veins.

Methods: A total of 756 varicocele patients who came under our care for infertility underwent surgical treatment with our technique. The diagnosis was based on clinical examination and confirmed by color-Doppler ultrasound of the spermatic cord.

Evaluation of microalbuminuria in patients with erectile dysfunction.

Introduction: The recent sophisticated diagnostic procedures aimed at identifying the exact cause of erectile dysfunction (ED) are often complicated in clinical application, invasive, or highly expensive. Microalbuminuria, a test easy to perform and of low cost, is a marker of extensive endothelial dysfunction, and it has been suggested to be linked to ED.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the eventual role of microalbuminuria in differentiating patients with arteriogenic and non arteriogenic ED.

Seminal macrophages in ejaculates from men with couple infertility.

Seminal macrophages are occasionally reported though their relevance in the evaluation of human ejaculate is unknown. Activated macrophages, engaging in sperm phagocytosis (spermiophages), might represent a marker of innate immunosystem activation. We investigated whether the presence of spermiophages in non-leukocytospermic ejaculates from men complaining for couple infertility is associated with altered sperm features.

Treatment of erectile dysfunction reduces psychological distress.

Mental stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular events in men with vascular risk factors (VRFs) and is also associated with erectile dysfunction (ED), a frequent complaint of men with VRFs. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inhibition of phosphodiesterase-5 or of placebo in men with ED and VRFs on self-evaluated psychological distress, erectile function and quality of sexual life. Thirty-six men with ED and VRFs were randomized to 4 weeks of tadalafil (20 mg/every other day) or placebo treatment.

Utrastructural analysis of asthenozoospermic ejaculates in the era of assisted procreation.

Objective: To define by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis, the prevalence of sperm tail defects of genetic origin among men suffering for a reduced or absent sperm motility.

Design: A retrospective study.

Setting: Andrology Clinic, University of L'Aquila, Italy.