Priapism in the newborn: management and review of literature

Abstract

Priapism is a pathological condition of a penile erection that persists beyond or is unrelated to sexual stimulation. Priapism is broadly classified into two types: (i) ischaemic priapism (veno-occlusive) (low-flow), (ii) nonischaemic priapism (arterial) (high-flow). We report the case of a newborn presenting with priapism on the first day of life and also review published data on the management and follow-up of this condition.

Priapism in the Newborn: Shall We Intervene?

“…In ischemic priapism, the erection is always painful; however, in the non-ischemic priapism, the erection is usually painless [1,2]. The etiology of neonatal priapism remains unclear.…”

“…Clinically, it's a prolonged painless penile erection with a quite variable duration ranging from two to twelve days [1,3]. Only one case of a newborn priapism complicated by a pyocavernositis after 20 days was reported.…”

“…This suggests that the management should not be exhaustive [1][2][3][4]. A penis Doppler ultrasound and a complete blood count are the first-line investigations; invasive explorations are unnecessary.…”

Priapism in Children: Review

“…Büyük kısmı sekel bırakmadan kendiliğinden iyileşmektedir. 10 Daha büyük çocuklarda priyapizm saptandı-ğında ilk olarak priyapizmin tipi belirlenmelidir. İlk basamak tedavide sıklıkla fiziksel egzersiz, idrar yapma, soğuk banyo, ejakülasyon ve sıvı alımı denenebilmektedir.…”

Priapism due to Glyceryl Trinitrate in Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Case Report

“…Priapism is a rare condition that can be seen in all age groups [1]. There are two types of priapism: ischemic priapism (venoocclusive, low flow) and nonischemic priapism (arterial, high flow) [2]. Low flow priapism is a case of urologic emergency that must be treated immediately [3].…”