Erectile dysfunction in Arab countries. Part II: Diagnosis and treatment

OBJECTIVE: To review local published data on the diagnosis and treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) in Arab countries. METHODS: MEDLINE was searched for English-language articles published from 2000 to 2011, using the search terms ‘Arab countries’, ‘sexual dysfunction’, ‘diagnosis’ and ‘treatment’. RESULTS: In all, 86 articles were found to be relevant to this review; only a few had a high level of evidence and the remaining studies used an uncontrolled design. Several local studies were consistent with previous reports showing that a customised diagnostic pathway, with full consideration of the patient’s goals, is adopted by most clinicians to treat ED. For an effective treatment, the evaluation methods should answer important questions about the aetiology and severity of ED, as well as the patient’s and partner’s goals and expectations. As ED is known to be associated with many common medical comorbidities and medications, careful questioning can yield information about peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and tobacco and alcohol use. The presence of psychological, neurological or chronic debilitating diseases can direct further evaluation. CONCLUSION: The methods used for the diagnosis and treatment of ED need more investigation, especially in Arab countries. Only a few studies addressed the results of different methods of investigating and treating ED among Arab men.