Cardiometabolic Risk and Female Sexuality: Focus on Clitoral Vascular Resistance

INTRODUCTION

The relation between sexual and cardiovascular health in women is not well defined. Clitoral color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) with assessment of the pulsatility index (PI), reflecting resistance to blood flow, has been proposed as an objective measurement of sexual functioning.

AIM

To investigate associations between clitoral PI and cardiometabolic risk factors, sexual and intrapsychic parameters, and self-perception of body image.

METHODS

Seventy-one adult heterosexual women in a stable relationship attending our clinic for sexual dysfunction were consecutively recruited.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Patients underwent physical, laboratory, and clitoral color Doppler ultrasound examinations and completed the Female Sexual Function Index, the Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire, and the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT).

RESULTS

Clitoral PI was positively correlated with body mass index (r = 0.441, P < .0001), waist circumference (r = 0.474, P < .0001), glycemia (r = 0.300, P = .029), insulin (r = 0.628, P = .002), homeostatic model assessment index (r = 0.605, P = .005), triglycerides (r = 0.340, P = .011), total cholesterol (r = 0.346, P = .010), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (r = 0.334, P = .016). All relations, with the exception of glycemia, retained statistical significance after adjusting for age, smoking habit, and years since menopause (P < .0001 for body mass index, waist circumference, and triglycerides; P < .05 for all other associations). Analysis of covariance, after adjusting for confounders, showed that women with obesity or metabolic syndrome (MetS) showed significantly higher PI values (obesity: F = 17.79, P = .001; MetS: F = 7.37, P = .019). In particular, a stepwise increase of PI was found as a function of increasing MetS components (β = 0.434, P = .007). Clitoral PI was negatively associated with Female Sexual Function Index arousal (β = -0.321, P = .014) and satisfaction (β = -0.289, P = .026) scores and positively associated with Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire somatized anxiety symptoms, even after adjusting for age, smoking habit, years since menopause, and current use of psychiatric medication (β = 0.354, P = .011). A positive association also was observed between PI and the BUT positive symptom distress index (β = 0.322, P = .039) and BUT for dislike of the womb, genitals, and breast (β = 0.538, P < .0001; β = 0.642, P < .0001; β = 0.549, P < .0001, respectively). After introducing waist circumference as another covariate, the associations between clitoral PI and the BUT positive symptom distress index and BUT dislike of the womb, genitals, and breast retained statistical significance (P = .038 for positive symptom distress index; P < .0001 for dislike of womb, genitals, and breast).

CONCLUSION

Clitoral vascular resistance is positively associated with MetS (in particular insulin resistance), decreased sexual arousal, body image concerns, and increased somatized anxiety symptoms. Further studies are needed to establish whether treatment of metabolic abnormalities might improve clitoral color Doppler ultrasound indices and sexual outcomes.

Body imaging and sexual behavior in lean women with polycystic ovary syndrome

INTRODUCTION

In women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), changes in body appearance may influence the feminine identity of the patients with possible consequent depression and sexual dysfunction.

AIM

The study aims to examine the differences in mood, perceived body image, sexual behavior, and clitoral vascularization between lean PCOS patients and healthy eumenorrheic controls.

METHODS

Thirty-three lean PCOS women (Group I) and 22 healthy nonhirsute volunteers (Group II) were submitted, on day 3-5 of the cycle, to ultrasonographic (US) and Doppler analyses, to clinical, hormonal, and biochemical evaluations, and to psychometric tests.

MAIN OUTCOMES MEASURES

Main outcome measures are Ferriman-Gallwey score (FG), clitoral volume, clitoral artery Pulsatility Index, the two-factor Italian McCoy female questionnaire (MFSQ), the Stunkard Figure Rating Scale (FRS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire.

RESULTS

The FG score and the androgens resulted, as expected, more elevated in PCOS patients than in controls. However, the US assessment of the clitoral body volume and the resistances registered at the level of the dorsal clitoral artery did not show any difference between Group I and Group II patients. Moreover, the two-factor Italian MFSQ, the FRS, and the BDI were similar in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

It seems that in lean PCOS women, the moderate hirsutism and hyperandrogenism do not have any important influence on body image and self-esteem and, as a consequence, on sexual function.

Intraoperative cavernous nerve stimulation and Laser-Doppler flowmetry during radical prostatectomy

INTRODUCTION

Erectile dysfunction is a common side effect following radical prostatectomy mainly due to damage of the pelvic autonomic nerve fibers (cavernous nerves). Intraoperative electrical stimulation of the cavernous nerves while measuring changes in penile girth has previously been shown to provide the surgeon with feedback of nerve integrity.

AIM

To test the feasibility of recording changes in glans penis blood flow by Laser Doppler flowmetry from cavernous nerve stimulation.

METHODS

Fifteen patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy had electrical stimulation of the proximal and distal parts of the neurovascular bundles after prostate removal. The stimulation consisted of 30-40 seconds biphasic constant current (10-30 mA) with 0.5 millisecond pulse duration.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Stimulus induced changes in penile blood flow was recorded from a Laser Doppler probe attached to the glans penis. Changes in penile girth were simultaneously recorded from a mercury-in rubber strain gauge. Erectile function was evaluated three months after surgery.

RESULTS

Ten patients had stimulus induced increase in Laser Doppler flow unilaterally (N=7) or bilaterally (N=3). Out of 10 patients, 6 reported some preserved erectile function postoperatively at 3 months follow-up (indicating 6 true and 4 false positives). Three patients had no Doppler response from stimulation and had no postoperative erectile function postoperatively (indicating three true negatives). Two patients were excluded from the study due to bad signal quality in the Laser Doppler signal. In the majority of patients, stimulation produced increase in penile girth sensed by the strain gauge.

CONCLUSION

This preliminary report provides evidence that Laser Doppler Flowmetry is able to detect increased penile blood flow from intraoperative electrical stimulation of the neurovascular bundles. However, further improvement in the recording technique is required. Laser Doppler Flowmetry may also be feasible to confirm autonomic nerve sparing in women undergoing pelvic surgery.