title: Spontaneous priapism after radical retropubic prostatectomy.
abstract: We present the first case of priapism following radical prostatectomy. A 66-year-old man with normal erections underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy with unilateral nerve sparing. Pathology showed a pT2c pN0 Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 prostate cancer and the postoperative course was uneventful. Ten days after surgery he recognized a spontaneous painful penile erection without sexual stimulation which occurred in a standing position and disappeared in a supine position. These episodes recurred several times during the next 3 weeks and then completely vanished. Pathophysiologically, we postulate intermittent position-depending venous obstruction due to local hematoma or thrombosis.
authors.affiliation: Urology Center Berne, Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bohlen
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Eberle
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Schmid
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011317:Priapism / Q000209:etiology*; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*