Pattern and management of priapism in a tertiary hospital of North-Western Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Priapism is a persistent penile erection that continues for more than four hours beyond sexual stimulation and orgasm or unrelated to sexual stimulation¹. The objective is to document the pattern and management of priapism in our hospital.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients managed for Priapism by Urology Unit of our hospital, from January 2009 to December 2015.

Results: Thirty patients were managed for managed for priapism within the study period. The mean age at presentation was 23.9 ± 12.2 years with a range of 8- 55 years. Fifteen patients (57.7 %) presented beyond 72 hours of the onset of priapism. All the patients had ischaemic priapism. Half of the patients had sickle cell disease, two (7.7 %) had chronic myeloid leukaemia, five (19.2%) used aphrodisiacs and cause was not established in six (23.1%). The most effective forms of treatments were corporal aspiration and glanulocavernosal shunt. Hydroxyurea was used for the patients with leukaemia. Thirteen (50.0%) of the patients were loss to follow-up after their first visits. Three patients (11.5%) developed erectile dysfunction.

Conclusion: Sickle cell disease is the commonest cause of ischaemic priapism in our practice. Late presentation is common and is usually associated with the development of erectile dysfunction.

Keywords: priapism, sickle cell disease, aphrodisiacs, erectile dysfunction, treatments of ischaemic priapism