Relation between pelvic floor neurophysiological abnormalities and erectile dysfunction in patients with obstructed defecation

African Journal of Urology

Table 3 Pelvic floor electrophysiological parameters of the two patient groups and control group

Pelvic floor electrophysiological parameters	OD with ED group (n = 32 patients) mean ± SD	OD without ED group (n = 33 patients) mean ± SD	Control group (n = 15 subjects) mean ± SD	Test of significance	P
Rt PNTML (ms)	3.67 ± 1.39‡§	2.35 ± 0.93‡^\|\|	1.94 ± 0.20§^\|\|	K = 31.343	≤ 0.0001*
Lt PNTML (ms)	3.19 ± 1.18‡§	2.25 ± 0.71‡^\|\|	1.89 ± 0.18§^\|\|	K = 24.277	≤ 0.0001*
Pudendal nerve status
Normal pudendal nerve bilaterally^†	4 (12.5)	15 (45.45)	NA	X² = 22.768	≤ 0.0001*
Unilateral pudendal neuropathy^†	7 (21.9)	15 (45.45)	NA
Bilateral pudendal neuropathy^†	21 (65.6)	3 (9.1)	NA
Needle electromyography
EMG of EAS
Denervation with chronic reinnervation^†	31 (96.9)	25 (75.8)	NA	X² = 6.073	0.027*^¶
Anismus^†	29 (90.6)	23 (69.7)	NA	X² = 4.447	0.061^¶
EMG of PR
Denervation with chronic reinnervation^†	23 (71.9)	19 (57.6)	NA	X² = 1.453	0.301^¶
Anismus^†	28 (87.5)	31 (93.9)	NA	X² = 0.804	0.427^¶
EMG of BC
Denervation with chronic reinnervation^†	25 (78.1)	11 (33.3)	NA	X² = 13.191	≤ 0.0001*^¶

Rt, right side; PNTML, pudendal nerve terminal motor latency; Lt, left side; ms; millisecond; EMG, electromyography; EAS, external anal sphincter muscle; PR, puborectalis muscle; BC, bulbocavernosus muscle; OD, obstructed defecation; ER, erectile dysfunction; n, number of subjects; SD, standard deviation; NA, not applicable; K, value of Kruskel-Wallis test; X², value of Chi-square test
*P is significant at < 0.05
^†Data are reported as number (percentage)
^‡Statistical significance difference between OD with ED group versus OD without ED group (P ≤ 0.0001)
^§Statistical significance difference between OD with ED group versus control group (P ≤ 0.0001)
^||No statistical significance difference between OD without ED group versus control group (P > 0.05)
^¶Value of Fisher’s Exact test