An update on the management algorithms of priapism during the last decade

Submitted: May 9, 2022
Accepted: May 23, 2022
Published: June 30, 2022
Abstract Views: 1939
PDF: 1289
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Authors

Priapism is a persistent penile erection lasting longer than 4 hours, that needs emergency management. This disorder can induce irreversible erectile dysfunction. There are three subtypes of priapism: ischemic, non-ischemic, and stuttering priapism. If the patient has ischemic priapism (IP) of less than 24-hours (h) duration, the initial management should be a corporal blood aspiration followed by instillation of phenylephrine into the corpus cavernosum. If sympathomimetic fails or the patient has IP from 24 to 48h, surgical shunts should be performed. It is recommended that distal shunts should be attempted first. If distal shunt failed, proximal, venous shunt, or T-shunt with tunneling could be performed. If the patient had IP for 48 to 72h, proximal and venous shunt or T-shunt with tunneling is indicated, if those therapies failed, a penile prosthesis should be inserted. Non-ischemic priapism (NIP) is not a medical emergency and many patients will recover spontaneously. If the NIP does not resolve spontaneously within six months or the patient requests therapy, selective arterial embolization is indicated. The goal of the management of a patient with stuttering priapism (SP) is the prevention of future episodes. Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitor therapy is considered an effective tool to prevent stuttering episodes but it is not validated yet. The management of priapism should follow the guidelines as the future erectile function is dependent on its quick resolution. This review briefly discusses the types, pathophysiology, and diagnosis of priapism. It will discuss an updated approach to treat each type of priapism.

Dimensions

Altmetric

PlumX Metrics

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Citations

Broderick GA, Kadioglu A, Bivalacqua TJ, et al. Priapism: pathogenesis, epidemiology, and management. J Sex Med. 2010; 7:476-500. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01625.x
Pautler SE, Brock GB. Priapism. From Priapus to the present time. Urol Clin North Am. 2001; 28:391-403. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0094-0143(05)70147-6
Melman A, Serels S. Priapism. Int J Impot Res. 2000; 12(Suppl 4):S133-S139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900592
Levey HR, Segal RL, Bivalacqua TJ. Management of priapism: an update for clinicians. Ther Adv Urol. 2014; 6:230-244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1756287214542096
Ridgley J, Raison N, Sheikh MI, et al. Ischaemic priapism: A clinical review. Turk J Urol. 2017; 43:1-8.
Moore J, Whelan TF, Langille GM. The use of penile prostheses in the management of priapism. Transl Androl Urol. 2017; 6(Suppl 5):S797-S803. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2017.04.26
Bassett J, Rajfer J. Diagnostic and therapeutic options for the management of ischemic and nonischemic priapism. Rev Urol. 2010;12:56-63.
Ingram AR, Stillings SA, Jenkins LC. An Update on Non-Ischemic Priapism. Sex Med Rev. 2020; 8:140-149. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sxmr.2019.03.004
Huang YC, Harraz AM, Shindel AW, Lue TF. Evaluation and management of priapism: 2009 update. Nat Rev Urol. 2009; 6:262-271.
Pryor J, Akkus E, Alter G, et al. Priapism. J Sex Med. 2004; 1:116-20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2004.10117.x
Kousournas G, Muneer A, Ralph D, Zacharakis E. Contemporary best practice in the evaluation and management of stuttering priapism. Ther Adv Urol. 2017; 9:227-238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1756287217717913
Eland IA, van der Lei J, Stricker BH, Sturkenboom MJ. Incidence of priapism in the general population. Urology. 2001; 57:970-972. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(01)00941-4
Roghmann F, Becker A, Sammon JD, et al. Incidence of priapism in emergency departments in the United States. J Urol. 2013;190:1275-80. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.03.118
Kulmala RV, Lehtonen TA, Tammela TL. Priapism, its incidence and seasonal distribution in Finland. Scand J Urol Nephrol. 1995;29:93-96. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/00365599509180545
Adeyoju AB, Olujohungbe AB, Morris J, et al. Priapism in sicklecell disease; incidence, risk factors and complications - an international multicentre study. BJU Int. 2002; 90:898-902. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1464-410X.2002.03022.x
Nolan VG, Wyszynski DF, Farrer LA, Steinberg MH. Hemolysisassociated priapism in sickle cell disease. Blood. 2005; 106:3264-3267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1182/blood-2005-04-1594
Van der Horst C, Stuebinger H, Seif C, et al. Priapism - etiology, pathophysiology and management. Int Braz J Urol. 2003; 29:391-400. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1677-55382003000500002
Kumar M, Garg G, Sharma A, et al. Comparison of outcomes in malignant vs. non-malignant ischemic priapism: 12-year experience from a tertiary center. Turk J Urol. 2019; 45:340-344. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5152/tud.2019.75044
Lue TF. AB002. Management of three types of priapism: 2015 update. Transl Androl Urol. 2015; 4(Suppl 1):AB002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/atm.2016.AB002
Hudnall M, Reed-Maldonado AB, Lue TF. Advances in the understanding of priapism. Transl Androl Urol. 2017; 6:199-206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2017.01.18
Podolej GS, Babcock C. Emergency Department Management Of Priapism. Emerg Med Pract. 2017; 19:1-16.
Ridgley J, Raison N, Sheikh MI, et al. Ischaemic priapism: A clinical review. Turk J Urol. 2017; 43:1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5152/tud.2017.59458
Ericson C, Baird B, Broderick GA. Management of Priapism: 2021 Update. Urol Clin North Am. 2021; 48:565-576. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ucl.2021.07.003
Shigehara K, Namiki M. Clinical Management of Priapism: A Review. World J Mens Health. 2016; 34:1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.2016.34.1.1
Halls JE, Patel DV, Walkden M, Patel U. Priapism: pathophysiology and the role of the radiologist. Br J Radiol. 2012; 85 Spec No 1(Spec Iss 1):S79-S85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/62360925
Kessler CS, Bauml J. Non-traumatic urologic emergencies in men: a clinical review. West J Emerg Med. 2009;10:281-287.
Patel U, Sujenthiran A, Watkin N. Penile Doppler ultrasound in men with stuttering priapism and sickle cell disease -. a labile baseline diastolic velocity is a characteristic finding. J Sex Med. 2015; 12:549-556. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12756
Kirkham A. MRI of the penis. Br J Radiol. 2012; 85 Spec No 1(Spec Iss 1):S86-S93. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr/63301362
Huang YC, Harraz AM, Shindel AW, Lue TF. Evaluation and management of priapism: 2009 update. Nat Rev Urol. 2009; 6:262-71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2009.50
Muneer A, Alnajjar HM, Ralph D. Recent advances in the management of priapism. F1000Res. 2018; 7:37. DOI: https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.12828.1
Kovac JR, Mak SK, Garcia MM, Lue TF. A pathophysiologybased approach to the management of early priapism. Asian J Androl. 2013; 15:20-26. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2012.83
Reed-Maldonado AB, Kim JS, Lue TF. Avoiding complications: surgery for ischemic priapism. Transl Androl Urol. 2017; 6:657-665. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2017.07.23
Reddy AG, Alzweri LM, Gabrielson AT, et al. Role of penile prosthesis in priapism: A Review. World J Mens Health. 2018; 36:4-14. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5534/wjmh.17040
Ateyah A, Rahman El-Nashar A, Zohdy W, et al. Intracavernosal irrigation by cold saline as a simple method of treating iatrogenic prolonged erection. J Sex Med. 2005; 2:248-253. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.20235.x
Ruest AS, Getto LP, Fredette JM, et al. A novel task trainer for penile corpus cavernosa aspiration. Simul Healthc. 2017; 12:407-413. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/SIH.0000000000000262
Salonia A, Eardley I, Giuliano F, et al. European Association of Urology guidelines on priapism. Eur Urol. 2014; 65:480-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2013.11.008
Muneer A, Minhas S, Freeman A, et al. Investigating the effects of high-dose phenylephrine in the management of prolonged ischaemic priapism. J Sex Med. 2008; 5:2152-2159. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.00862.x
Wen CC, Munarriz R, McAuley I, et al. Management of ischemic priapism with high-dose intracavernosal phenylephrine: from bench to bedside [published correction appears in J Sex Med. 2006; 3:938]. J Sex Med. 2006; 3:918-922. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00140.x
Montague DK, Jarow J, Broderick GA, et al. American Urological Association guideline on the management of priapism. J Urol. 2003;170:1318-24. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/01.ju.0000087608.07371.ca
Palagiri RDR, Chatterjee K, Jillella A, Hammond DA. A case report of hypertensive emergency and intracranial hemorrhage due to intracavernosal phenylephrine. Hosp Pharm. 2019; 54:186-189. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0018578718778230
Keskin D, Cal C, Delibas M, et al. Intracavernosal adrenalin injection in priapism. Int J Impot Res. 2000; 12:312-4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3900539
Levey HR, Kutlu O, Bivalacqua TJ. Medical management of ischemic stuttering priapism: a contemporary review of the literature. Asian J Androl. 2012; 14:156-163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/aja.2011.114
Martínez Portillo F, Hoang-Boehm J, et al. Methylene blue as a successful treatment alternative for pharmacologically induced priapism. Eur Urol. 2001; 39:20-23. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000052407
Hübler J, Szántó A, Könyves K. Methylene blue as a means of treatment for priapism caused by intracavernous injection to combat erectile dysfunction. Int Urol Nephrol. 2003; 35:519-521. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:UROL.0000025617.97048.ae
Lowe FC, Jarow JP. Placebo-controlled study of oral terbutaline and pseudoephedrine in management of prostaglandin E1-induced prolonged erections. Urology. 1993; 42:51-54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-4295(93)90338-B
Priyadarshi S. Oral terbutaline in the management of pharmacologically induced prolonged erection. Int J Impot Res. 2004;16:424-426. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901180
Soler JM, Previnaire JG, Mieusset R, Plante P. Oral midodrine for prostaglandin e1 induced priapism in spinal cord injured patients. J Urol. 2009; 182:1096-1100. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2009.05.009
Capece M, Gillo A, Cocci A, et al. Management of refractory ischemic priapism: current perspectives. Res Rep Urol. 2017; 9:175-179. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2147/RRU.S128003
-Muneer A, Ralph D. Guideline of guidelines: priapism. BJU Int. 2017; 119:204-208. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/bju.13717
Song PH, Moon KH. Priapism: current updates in clinical management. Korean J Urol. 2013; 54:816-823. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4111/kju.2013.54.12.816
Garcia MM, Shindel AW, Lue TF. T-shunt with or without tunnelling for prolonged ischaemic priapism. BJU Int. 2008; 102:1754-1764. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2008.08174.x
Tang Y, Tan Z, Zhou J, et al. AB227. Our experience of T-shaped shunt for the treatment of ischemic priapism. Transl Androl Urol. 2016; 5(Suppl 1):AB227. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2016.s227
Afriansyah A, Yuri P, Hutasoit YI. Intracorporeal dilatation plus Al-Ghorab corporoglandular shunt for salvage management of prolonged ischemic priapism. Urol Case Rep. 2017; 12:11-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eucr.2017.01.011
Dangle PP, Patel MB, Pandya LK, Firlit CF. A modified surgical approach to the Al-Ghorab shunt - an anatomical basis. BJU Int. 2012; 109:1872-1874. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2012.11253.x
Burnett AL, Pierorazio PM. Corporal "snake" maneuver: corporoglandular shunt surgical modification for ischemic priapism. J Sex Med. 2009; 6:1171-1176. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2008.01176.x
Segal RL, Readal N, Pierorazio PM, et al. Corporal Burnett "Snake" surgical maneuver for the treatment of ischemic priapism: long-term followup. J Urol. 2013; 189:1025-1029. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2012.08.245
Lue TF, Garcia M. Should perioperative anticoagulation be an integral part of the priapism shunting procedure?. Transl Androl Urol. 2013; 2:316-320.
Sedigh O, Rolle L, Negro CL, et al. Early insertion of inflatable prosthesis for intractable ischemic priapism: our experience and review of the literature. Int J Impot Res. 2011; 23:158-64. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2011.23
Salem EA, El Aasser O. Management of ischemic priapism by penile prosthesis insertion: prevention of distal erosion. J Urol. 2010;183:2300-2303. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.014
Ralph DJ, Garaffa G, Muneer A, et al. The immediate insertion of a penile prosthesis for acute ischaemic priapism. Eur Urol. 2009;56:1033-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eururo.2008.09.044
Garaffa G, Ralph DJ. Penile prosthesis implantation in acute and chronic priapism. Sex Med Rev. 2013; 1:76-82. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smrj.10
Palmisano F, Vagnoni V, Franceschelli A, et al. Immediate insertion of a soft penile prosthesis as a new option for a safe and costeffective treatment of refractory ischemic priapism. Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2021; 93:356-360. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2021.3.356
Colombo F, Lovaria A, Saccheri S, et al. Arterial embolization in the treatment of post-traumatic priapism. Ann Urol (Paris). 1999;33:210-218.
Kim KR. Embolization treatment of high-flow priapism. Semin Intervent Radiol. 2016; 33:177-181. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0036-1586152
Numan F, Cantasdemir M, Ozbayrak M, et al. Posttraumatic nonischemic priapism treated with autologous blood clot embolization. J Sex Med. 2008; 5:173-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2007.00560.x
Kim KR, Shin JH, Song HY, et al. Treatment of high-flow priapism with superselective transcatheter embolization in 27 patients: a multicenter study. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2007; 18:1222-6. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvir.2007.06.030
Fergus KB, Baradaran N, Tresh A, et al. Use of angioembolization in urology: a review. Transl Androl Urol. 2018; 7:535-544. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2018.05.12
Bertolotto M, Zappetti R, Pizzolato R, Liguori G. Color Doppler appearance of penile cavernosal-spongiosal communications in patients with high-flow priapism. Acta Radiol. 2008; 49:710-714. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02841850802027026
Bertolotto M, Quaia E, Mucelli FP, et al. Color Doppler imaging of posttraumatic priapism before and after selective embolization. Radiographics. 2003; 23:495-503. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1148/rg.232025077
Shapiro RH, Berger RE. Post-traumatic priapism treated with selective cavernosal artery ligation. Urology. 1997; 49:638-643. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(97)00045-9
Mwamukonda KB, Chi T, Shindel AW, Lue TF. Androgen blockade for the treatment of high-flow priapism. J Sex Med. 2010;7:2532-2537. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.01838.x
Morrison BF, Burnett AL. Stuttering priapism: insights into pathogenesis and management. Curr Urol Rep. 2012; 13:268-276. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11934-012-0258-9
Kheirandish P, Chinegwundoh F, Kulkarni S. Treating stuttering priapism. BJU Int. 2011; 108:1068-1072. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-410X.2011.10367.x
Dahm P, Rao DS, Donatucci CF. Antiandrogens in the treatment of priapism. Urology. 2002; 59:138. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0090-4295(01)01492-3
Levine LA, Guss SP. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues in the treatment of sickle cell anemia associated priapism. J Urol. 1993; 150:475-477. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5347(17)35520-9
Shamloul R, el Nashaar A. Idiopathic stuttering priapism treated successfully with low-dose ethinyl estradiol: a single case report. J Sex Med. 2005; 2:732-734. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2005.00106.x
Baker RC, Bergeson RL, Yi YA, et al. Dutasteride in the long-term management of stuttering priapism. Transl Androl Urol. 2020; 9:87-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.21037/tau.2019.07.15
Rachid-Filho D, Cavalcanti AG, Favorito LA, et al. Treatment of recurrent priapism in sickle cell anemia with finasteride: a new approach. Urology. 2009; 74:1054-1057. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2009.04.071
Evans KC, Peterson AC, Ruiz HE, Costabile RA. Use of oral ketoconazole to prevent postoperative erections following penile surgery. Int J Impot Res. 2004; 16:346-349. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901160
Abern MR, Levine LA. Ketoconazole and prednisone to prevent recurrent ischemic priapism. J Urol. 2009; 182:1401-1406. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2009.06.040
Hoeh MP, Levine LA. Prevention of recurrent ischemic priapism with ketoconazole: evolution of a treatment protocol and patient outcomes. J Sex Med. 2014; 11:197-204. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12359
Saval A, Chiodo AE. Sexual dysfunction associated with intrathecal baclofen use: a report of two cases. J Spinal Cord Med. 2008;31:103-105. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10790268.2008.11753989
Moreira DM, Pimentel M, da Silva Moreira BF, et al. Recurrent priapism in the young patient treated with baclofen. J Pediatr Urol. 2006; 2:590-591. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpurol.2005.11.009
Vaidyanathan S, Watt JW, Singh G, et al. Management of recurrent priapism in a cervical spinal cord injury patient with oral baclofen therapy. Spinal Cord. 2004; 42:134-5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.sc.3101547
Gupta S, Salimpour P, Saenz de Tejada I, et al. A possible mechanism for alteration of human erectile function by digoxin: inhibition of corpus cavernosum sodium/potassium adenosine triphosphatase activity. J Urol. 1998;159:1529-36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/00005392-199805000-00033
Perimenis P, Athanasopoulos A, Papathanasopoulos P, Barbalias G. Gabapentin in the management of the recurrent, refractory, idiopathic priapism. Int J Impot Res. 2004; 16:84-85. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijir.3901165
Yuan J, Desouza R, Westney OL, Wang R. Insights of priapism mechanism and rationale treatment for recurrent priapism. Asian J Androl. 2008; 10:88-101. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1745-7262.2008.00314.x
Daoud AS, Bataineh H, Otoom S, Abdul-Zahra E. The effect of Vigabatrin, Lamotrigine and Gabapentin on the fertility, weights, sex hormones and biochemical profiles of male rats. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2004; 25:178-183.
Anele UA, Mack AK, Resar LMS, Burnett AL. Hydroxyurea therapy for priapism prevention and erectile function recovery in sickle cell disease: a case report and review of the literature. Int Urol Nephrol. 2014; 46:1733-1736. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11255-014-0737-7
Saad ST, Lajolo C, Gilli S, et al. Follow-up of sickle cell disease patients with priapism treated by hydroxyurea. Am J Hematol. 2004;77:45-9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.20142
Champion HC, Bivalacqua TJ, Takimoto E, et al. Phosphodiesterase-5A dysregulation in penile erectile tissue is a mechanism of priapism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005; 102:1661-1666. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0407183102
Anele UA, Morrison BF, Burnett AL. Molecular pathophysiology of priapism: emerging targets. Curr Drug Targets. 2015; 16:474-483. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1389450115666141111111842
Burnett AL, Bivalacqua TJ, Champion HC, Musicki B. Long-term oral phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor therapy alleviates recurrent priapism. Urology. 2006; 67:1043-1048. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.urology.2005.11.045
Nardozza A Junior, Cabrini MR. Daily use of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors as prevention for recurrent priapism. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992). 2017; 63:689-692. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-9282.63.08.689

How to Cite

Moussa, M., Abou Chakra, M., Papatsoris, A. ., Dellis, A. ., Peyromaure, M. ., Barry Delongchamps, N. ., Bailly, H. ., Roux, S. ., Yassine, A. A., & Duquesne, I. (2022). An update on the management algorithms of priapism during the last decade. Archivio Italiano Di Urologia E Andrologia, 94(2), 237–247. https://doi.org/10.4081/aiua.2022.2.237