The incidence of pharmacologically induced priapism in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of 685 men with erectile dysfunction.
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.
Perimenis
P
P
Department of Urology, Medical School, University of Patras, Greece.
Athanasopoulos
A
A
Geramoutsos
I
I
Barbalias
G
G
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
D011458:Prostaglandins E; D010208:Papaverine