Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Priapism

Michael Silberman  1 , Stephen W. Leslie  2 , Eugene W. Hu
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Priapism

Michael Silberman et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Priapism is a disorder in which the penis maintains a prolonged, rigid erection in the absence of appropriate stimulation. Although definitions vary regarding duration, any unwanted erection lasting 4 hours or longer and not relieved by ejaculation is generally considered priapism.

Priapism is classified into 3 broad categories—ischemic, nonischemic, and recurrent ischemic. Ischemic causes of priapism are a true emergency and require prompt intervention to prevent damage to the penis, which can progress to complete and permanent erectile dysfunction. Emergent management of this disease is directed toward achieving detumescence as well as relieving pain and preserving normal erectile function.

Early intervention is essential for the functional recovery of erectile ability in patients with ischemic priapism. If left untreated, penile corporal cellular and tissue damage occurs with necrosis and eventually fibrosis, resulting in penile shortening and permanent erectile dysfunction.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Michael Silberman declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Stephen Leslie declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Eugene Hu declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Bivalacqua TJ, Allen BK, Brock G, Broderick GA, Kohler TS, Mulhall JP, Oristaglio J, Rahimi LL, Rogers ZR, Terlecki RP, Trost L, Yafi FA, Bennett NE. Acute Ischemic Priapism: An AUA/SMSNA Guideline. J Urol. 2021 Nov;206(5):1114-1121. - PubMed
    1. Ericson C, Baird B, Broderick GA. Management of Priapism: 2021 Update. Urol Clin North Am. 2021 Nov;48(4):565-576. - PubMed
    1. Salonia A, Eardley I, Giuliano F, Hatzichristou D, Moncada I, Vardi Y, Wespes E, Hatzimouratidis K, European Association of Urology European Association of Urology guidelines on priapism. Eur Urol. 2014 Feb;65(2):480-9. - PubMed
    1. Borhade MB, Patel P, Kondamudi NP. StatPearls [Internet] StatPearls Publishing; Treasure Island (FL): 2024. Feb 25, Sickle Cell Crisis.
    1. Greiner T, Schneider M, Regente J, Toto S, Bleich S, Grohmann R, Heinze M. Priapism induced by various psychotropics: A case series. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2019 Jul;20(6):505-512. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources