Penile scintigraphy for priapism in sickle cell disease.
Penile scintigraphy with [99mTc]pertechnetate/99mTc-RBCs was performed in patients with sickle cell disease patients who had priapism to assess the role of this imaging procedure in directing the clinical management of these patients.


METHODS
Fifteen studies were performed in 13 patients who were treated according to a protocol not dependent on the imaging results. The scintigraphic findings of penile vascular perfusion (stagnant or nonstagnant patterns) were collated retrospectively with the form of treatment needed for relief of the condition.


RESULTS
Four of five patients with the nonstagnant perfusion pattern responded to analgesics and intravenous hydration. Four of eight patients with the stagnant pattern did not require any aggressive interventions such as corporeal aspiration/irrigation, intracorporeal epinephrine or glans-cavernosa shunt.


CONCLUSIONS
Whereas the nonstagnant scintigraphic finding appeared to be a favorable indicator for conservative treatment, the stagnant finding was apparently noncontributory. In addition, no correlation was found between these two types of scintigraphic patterns and the subsequent sexual potency of these patients.
Dunn
E K
EK
Department of Radiology, State University of New York Health Science Center, Kings County Hospital Center, Brooklyn 11203, USA.
Miller
S T
ST
Macchia
R J
RJ
Glassberg
K I
KI
Gillette
P N
PN
Sarkar
S D
SD
Strashun
A M
AM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004912:Erythrocytes; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D018783:Impotence, Vasculogenic / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011317:Priapism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m
D013670:Sodium Pertechnetate Tc 99m