[Priapism induced by intracavernous injection]

We report 16 cases of priapism in 13 of 404 patients who received intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs to induce erection. In 10 patients the complication presented following injection of papaverine and phentolamine in combination. Despite reducing the dose of both agents, one patient had another episode of priapism. One patient who had been receiving papaverine alone in increasing doses with no results, developed priapism after the first injection of the combined treatment modality and again after the dose of both drugs had been reduced. Three cases presented priapism after injection with papaverine alone. One presented the complication again after injection of a reduced dose. The patients were seen after a sustained erection of 20 hours maximum on 15 occasions and one patient was seen after a sustained erection of 36 hours.