Korean Journal of Andrology  2006;24(1):51-53

A Case of Neurogenic Bladder and Erectile Dysfunction due to Decompression Sickness.

Han Seok KIM 1 ; Du Yong KIM ; Byeong Ju SEONG ; Seong Ju KIM ; Jae Min CHUNG ; Seong CHOI

Affiliations

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Keywords

Decompression sickness; Neurogenic bladder; Erectile dysfunction

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

Korean

Abstract

Decompression sickness is a disease caused by nitrogen bubbles in the tissues of divers who move too rapidly from environments of higher to those of lower atmospheric pressures. Nitrogen breathed in air under pressure dissolves in tissue fluids. When ambient pressure is reduced too rapidly, nitrogen goes out of solution faster than it can be circulated to the lungs for expiration. Gaseous nitrogen then accumulates in the joint spaces and peripheral circulation, impairing tissue oxygenation. We report a case of patient who experiencedneurogenic bladder and erectile dysfunction after decompression sickness. To our knowledge, this is the first case of neurogenic bladder and erectile dysfunction due to decompression sickness in the Korean literature.