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Case Reports
. 2011 Jan;16(1):e6-8.
doi: 10.1093/pch/16.1.e6.

Evaluation and management of priapism in a newborn: A case report and review of the literature

Nicholas Dust  1 , Thierry Daboval, Luis Guerra
Affiliations
Case Reports

Evaluation and management of priapism in a newborn: A case report and review of the literature

Nicholas Dust et al. Paediatr Child Health. 2011 Jan.

Abstract
in English, French

Idiopathic neonatal priapism is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon. The case of an otherwise healthy premature male newborn who was noted to have a persistent penile erection on the first day of life is presented. A Doppler ultrasound of the penis was performed, along with the first-ever cavernous blood gas analysis reported in a newborn. These investigations indicated that the presentation was consistent with nonischemic (arterial or high-flow) priapism. The patient was managed conservatively and the erection resolved fully on the sixth day of life. A review of the existing literature identified polycythemia as the most common identifiable cause of priapism in newborns, but the majority of cases are idiopathic. In most instances, observation alone is appropriate and spontaneous detumescence occurs. There are no published reports of erectile impairment following neonatal priapism, which suggests that this condition is relatively benign in the absence of other disease states.

Le priapisme néonatal idiopathique est un phénomène rare et mal compris. Est présenté le cas d’un nouveau-né prématuré autrement en santé chez qui on a remarqué une érection pénienne persistante au premier jour de vie. Les médecins ont effectué une échographie Doppler du pénis, de même que la toute première analyse des gaz sanguins caverneux chez un nouveau-né. Grâce à ces examens, ils ont établi que la présentation correspondait à un priapisme non ischémique (artériel ou à fort débit). Le patient a subi une prise en charge prudente, et l’érection s’est entièrement résorbée le sixième jour de vie. Une analyse bibliographique a permis de déterminer que la polycythémie est la principale cause identifiable de priapisme chez les nouveau-nés, mais que la majorité des cas sont d’origine idiopathique. La plupart du temps, l’observation seule suffit, et on constate une détumescence spontanée. Aucun rapport publié ne porte sur la dysfonction érectile après un priapisme néonatal, ce qui laisse supposer que ce problème est relativement bénin en l’absence d’autres états pathologiques.

Keywords: Blood gas analysis; Newborn; Priapism.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Persistent penile erection in a newborn
Figure 2
Figure 2
Normal arterial flow on Doppler ultrasound of the penis in a newborn with priapism
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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