Andrology

Causes of disease

Erectile dysfunction occurs in about a third of men aged 18-59 years. In most cases, it is not an independent disease. More often, its presence indicates more serious health problems. So, a typical complication is erectile dysfunction in diabetes. Often, deviations that are associated with erectile dysfunction occur for psychological reasons. In addition, the cause may be:

• Neurological disorders;

• Low levels of male hormones;
• Defects in the anatomy of the penis;
• Wrong lifestyle, bad habits.

Now let's talk about male infertility. In previous years, the responsibility for infertility was often attributed to a woman. Recently, thanks to more frequent examinations of husbands and, in particular, laboratory analysis of seminal fluid, it turned out that in about half of sterile marriages, the cause of infertility is not a woman, but a man.

Various types of testicular abnormalities belong to congenital forms of infertility:

• primary hypogonadism, that is, congenital underdevelopment of the genital organs,
• congenital absence of both testicles (extremely rare malformation)
• cryptorchidism (undescended testes in the scrotum) and some other, more rare congenital disorders of the testicular structure.

Acquired infertility may be the result of exposure to various adverse factors on the spermatogenic testicular epithelium:

• infectious diseases
• eating disorders
• prolonged body cooling
• X-rays or radiation.

According to modern data, in about one fourth of infertile men, the cause of this defect is transferred infectious mumps (mumps), complicated by bilateral orchitis.

Peyronie's disease. In many men, the erect penis is slightly curved, but with Peyronie’s disease, the penis is much more curved than normal. Inflammation of the internal tissues of the penis leads to the formation of fibrous (scar) tissue. Since scar tissue does not stretch during an erection, the erect penis bends, making it difficult or impossible for the penis to penetrate the vagina during intercourse. It is not completely clear what exactly causes the development of these scar structures. One of the most convincing theories relates their appearance to a penile injury that has occurred in the past, sometimes long before the onset of the disease. With this disease, an erection can become painful, and sometimes even disappear if a fibrous plaque spreads to deeper tissues of the penis.

How is the examination with an andrologist

During the initial examination, the andrologist collects an anamnesis, that is, forms a medical history, studying the patient's outpatient card, and learns from him about complaints about the state of male health. This is followed by a visual examination of the genital organs, as well as palpation (palpation) of the prostate gland through the wall of the rectum.

Depending on the results of the examination and patient complaints, the doctor may prescribe additional tests and studies:

• The study of prostate juice.
• Smear from the urethra.
• Spermogram.
• Ultrasound examination of the genitals.
• PCR diagnostics, with the help of which sexually transmitted diseases are detected.

Based on the analyzes, the andrologist consults the patient and, if necessary, develops a therapy regimen, taking into account his age and individual characteristics of the body. He also decided to conduct surgery.

If necessary, a medical examination of the patient is carried out or dynamic monitoring is conducted. The duties of the andrologist also include maintaining the patient under artificial insemination programs, discharge of sick leave and preparation of primary medical documentation.