Priapism is the name given to a pathological, painful erection that lasts more than four hours and is unrelated to arousal. This condition causes ischemic damage to the penile tissues and impotence, and is caused by blood diseases, injuries of the perineum and penis, neoplasms of the nervous system and drug or alcohol addiction,” urologist Anna Siminovich from the BestDoctor group Number of Companies told socialbites.ca.
“An important feature of priapism is that the erection does not weaken after orgasm. “The causes of priapism may be: blood diseases (leukemia, erythrocytosis, sickle cell anemia), trauma to the perineum and penis, neoplasms of the central and peripheral nervous system, abuse of psychoactive substances or alcohol,” the doctor said.
According to the doctor, there are three types of priapism depending on the mechanism of development: ischemic, non-ischemic and recurrent.
“The ischemic type is the most common. It occurs due to stagnation of venous blood in the corpora cavernosum of the penis. This situation is dangerous because scars remain in the tissues due to impaired blood flow, and after this condition improves, the patient may develop erectile dysfunction. There is evidence that irreversible changes develop in tissues within 24 hours of the onset of the disease. Therefore, it is important to consult a doctor immediately,” said the doctor.
The non-ischemic type develops as a result of damage to the vessels of the penis, which leads to decreased blood circulation and slight “starvation” of the tissues. In this case, irreversible changes may also occur, but more on that later.
“Recurrent priapism is the most unstudied and mysterious form of priapism. Periods of erection are combined with periods of normal functioning. The condition is treated promptly. In cases of non-ischemic priapism, endoscopic “occlusion” of the disease-causing vascular communication is usually performed.
If a person has ischemic priapism, a urologist should provide him with emergency care to prevent complications. Immediate measures include pumping blood through the corpus cavernosum and administering vasoactive drugs; sometimes blood thinners are also administered,” the doctor concluded.
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