Erectile dysfunction in patients with liver cirrhosis

Introduction. In this literature review we discuss the etiology, risk factors, and features of erectile dysfunction management in men with liver disease and cirrhosis. Materials and methods. A search to identify original articles and reviews in PubMed, еLibrary, ScienceDirect, Scopus, EMBASE databases suitable for the purposes of this review was conducted by combining the following terms: «hepatitis», «liver disease», «cirrhosis», «erectile dysfunction», «sexual dysfunction» in Russian and English. Results. Clinically significant erectile dysfunction in liver disease can be detected in more than half of patients with cirrhosis, but usually elude the attention of doctors and researchers. Although erectile dysfunction is not a life-threatening disorder, its impact on quality of life is important. Patients with cirrhosis often suffer from comorbidities that are also known to be involved in the etiopathogenesis of sexual dysfunction. While treating ED in cirrhotic patients is a clinical challenge, almost all studies are epidemiological or assess risk factors. Conclusions. The variety of symptoms and the significant deterioration in the quality of life need a multidisciplinary approach and timely intervention. There is a need to evaluate the quality of sexual life in men as part of the examination protocol for liver disease.