An overview of emergency pharmacotherapy for priapism

Priapism is a compartment syndrome, defined as an unwanted penile erection lasting longer than 4 h, unrelated to sexual stimulation, and persistent even after ejaculation/orgasm. Ischemic priapism is considered a urologic emergency requiring time-sensitive management. Studies have documented that untreated priapism is associated with progressive ischemic histological changes in the corpora cavernosa, such as widespread smooth muscle necrosis, blood vessel and nerve attrition, and trabecular fibrosis. Treatment options include conservative management, corporal irrigation, pharmacologic therapy, and surgery. We herein provide an overview of the emergency pharmacology for priapism.

The American Urological Association (AUA) and the European Association of Urology (EAU) both recommend penile aspiration in conjunction with intracavernosal injection of sympathomimetics as the initial management of ischemic priapism. We have performed a retrospective review of the literature from 1914 to 2022 by using PubMed and a review of the treatment guidelines from the AUA and the EAU to discuss the various therapies for ischemic priapism in the emergent setting.

After a thorough overview of the literature regarding the treatment of ischemic priapism in the emergent setting, we conclude that intracavernosal phenylephrine is superior to other agents due to its demonstrated efficacy and limited systemic side effects.