High-flow priapism in a 12-year-old boy: treatment with super-selective embolization

• Main Authors: AR , Mossadeq, R, Sasikumar, Kamarulzaman, Mohd Nazli, Abdullah, M Shafie, Mohd Daud, M Ashraf
• Format: Article
• Language: English; English
• Published: Medknow Publications 2009
• Subjects: R Medicine (General)
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/42990/3/42990.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/42990/6/42990_1.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/42990/; http://www.indianjurol.com/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Priapism is caused by an imbalance between penile blood inflow and outflow. There are two types of priapism: low-flow priapism due to venous occlusion and high-flow priapism due to uncontrolled arterial flow to the veins. High-flow priapism most frequently occurs as a result of penile trauma in which the intercavernosal artery disruption causes an arteriocavernosal fistula. It is rarely encountered in the pediatric and prepubertal population. Clinically, it manifests as a painless, prolonged erection after perineal trauma. Treatment ranges from expectant management to open surgical exploration with vessel ligation. We report the successful treatment of high-flow priapism in a 12-year-old prepubertal boy with superselective embolization.