Priapism.

Priapism is an uncommon but disabling complication of sickle cell disease particularly among adult patients. Children usually have involvement of the corpora cavernosa, few recurrent episodes, and a goad prognosis for future erectile function. Prolonged or repeated episodes in adult patients are marked by low flow infarctive disease and tricorporal involvement. To be effective in adult patients, crucial treatment decisions must be initiated within the first 12 hours of the onset of an acute episode. This may improve the preservation of erectile function. Among these with low now priapism, impotence is the ultimate outcome in 56% of patients and identifies those patients at high risk for other sickle cell related organ failure syndromes such as cerebral vasculopathy, end-stage renal disease, and retinopathy. Following detumescence, therapy aimed at the prevention of recurrent episodes is recommended.