Psychogenic Erectile Impotence — A Useful Or a Misleading Concept?

Abstract

Psychological factors alone may not fully explain some cases of apparently purely psychogenic acute situational impotence. Chronic impotence is often due to a combination of aetiological factors. Erectile selectivity is not a reliable means of diagnosing purely psychogenic impotence. Nocturnal penile tumescence monitoring is not absolutely reliable in making a distinction between organic and psychogenic impotence. The either/or concept of impotence being organic or psychogenic should be abandoned as serious errors can be made by adhering to it.