Does every patient with erectile dysfunction (ED) require testosterone and prolactin levels (Item 115-3)?
—Craig Freyer, MD, Fort Worth, Tex.
The goal of basic laboratory testing should be cost-efficient screening for common systemic disorders that may contribute to ED. To that end, fasting blood glucose, a fasting cholesterol and lipid panel, and testosterone levels should be sufficient. History or physical examination might indicate a need for further tests, such as prolactin, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prostate-specific antigen levels or thyroid panel. Lobo and Nehra have prepared a good review of the clinical evaluation of ED (Urol Clin North Am. 2005;32:447-455).
—David T. Noyes, MD (116-26)
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