Anxiety disorders in patients with idiopathic priapism: risk factor and pathophysiologic link?
BACKGROUND
A scientific explanation remains elusive for many presentations of recurrent ischemic priapism.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this article was to evaluate the possible clinical association between idiopathic priapism and anxiety disorders.


METHODS
Twenty-one patients without identifiable, presumed etiologies for their priapism disorders presented consecutively to a single practitioner's clinical practice and underwent clinical history evaluation and management over a 2(1/2)-year interval.


METHODS
The main outcome is the documentation of patient demographics and clinical profiles relating to medical history and priapism presentations.


RESULTS
Anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder were self-reported in 10 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The possible association between idiopathic priapism and anxiety disorders lends support for a central neurobiologic pathophysiology for the erectile disorder. Further neuropsychiatric studies of this clinical population is required to confirm the hypothesis.
Burnett
Arthur L
AL
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, The James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute, Department of Urology, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: aburnett@jhmi.edu.
D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D007172:Erectile Dysfunction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D010413:Penis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011317:Priapism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult