Can subfoveal choroidal thickness replace subjective tests in patients using tadalafil to treat erectile dysfunction?

Abstract

We aimed to determine the effect on choroidal thickness of daily 5 mg tadalafil use in patients with erectile dysfunction (ED) and to evaluate agreement between short form of International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF 1–5, 15) scores and choroidal thickness during follow-up. Enhanced depth imaging spectral domain–optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) was used to measure full choroidal thickness in the subfoveal area, choroidal thickness (CT) and small-choroidal-vessel-layer (SCVL) thickness. Thirty of the 45 patients included complete their follow-ups and exhibited medication continuity. Patients were divided into two groups, five (16.7%) with ED at any level at third-month follow-up, and 25 (83.3%) with no ED, and subgroup analysis was then performed. Median changes in SCVL thickness at first- and sixth-month follow-ups were 20.5 µm versus 9.0 ?m (p =.001) and 23.5 µm versus 12.5 µm (p =.005) in patients without and with ED respectively. The SCVL thickness increased by 20 ?m compared with the baseline level, indicating an improvement in the patient's complaints of erectile dysfunction. The level of increase in SCVL thickness can be a useful and objective guide to clinicians if they cannot be present when the IIEF questionnaire is administered. © 2020 Blackwell Verlag GmbH