Intracavernosal injection therapy is now widely used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, but many patients find this therapy unacceptable. 8 MUSE, an innovative approach to the treatment of erectile dysfunction, is a transurethral drug delivery system for alprostadil, a potent vasodilator chemically identical to PGE 1 . PGE 1 is one of the endogenous prostaglandins found in seminal fluid, and is also synthesized in the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum. MUSE provides physicians with a novel treatment option for their patients with erectile dysfunction. During an in-clinic evaluation, patients rated MUSE as being easy to administer.
Transurethral delivery is an effective, discreet, and well tolerated therapeutic modality.
It is our hope that the introduction of MUSE will herald a greater public awareness of the therapeutic options for erectile dysfunction and encourage patients to enter into productive dialogues with health care providers about this problem. National Center for Health Statistics data from the National Ambulatory Medical Survey indicate that, in 1985, erectile dysfunction accounted about 525,000 physician visits and 30,000 hospital admissions nationally. 2 Successful therapeutic intervention may have a significant impact on this major public health problem. 9 MUSE is a transurethral delivery system that offers a discreet and well tolerated treatment for erectile dysfunction. This monograph provides a review of the anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology of the penis and an overview of erectile dysfunction, its diagnosis, and current methods of treatment.