title: The incidence of pharmacologically induced priapism in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of 685 men with erectile dysfunction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the incidence of pharmacologically induced priapism in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of erectile dysfunction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over a period of 7 years, 685 men were investigated for erectile failure. They underwent a simple test with vaso-active drugs, and the nonresponders were further investigated. Eventually, 83 men began autoinjections and 45 still continue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight (1.2%) cases of priapism presented during the simple test with vaso-active drugs in these patients, while none occurred during self-injection treatment. Three were prolonged erections induced by prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) and 5 by papaverine (Pap). Six were treated safely with intracavernosal injection of etilephrine without blood aspiration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Priapism is always a potential phenomenon where no individual, no particular drug and no specific dose are completely safe. It may be caused even with 5 microg of PGE1 or 7.5 mg of Pap. Auto-injection therapy however is a safe kind of treatment in well-experienced patients. Careful regulation of the doses and practice in the use of vaso-active drugs may reduce the priapism rate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Medical School, University of Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perimenis
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Athanasopoulos
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Geramoutsos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barbalias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010208:Papaverine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011317:Priapism / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D011458:Prostaglandins E / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D011458:Prostaglandins E; D010208:Papaverine