OBJECTIVETo investigate the management of ischemic priapism (IP) by analyzing the clinical and follow-up data of IP patients.

METHODSWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical data of 8 IP patients treated in our hospital from January 2004 to June 2010 and analyzed the results of follow-ups by telephone calls and clinic visits.

RESULTSThe average age of the patients was 34.5 (23 -41) years and the mean duration of priapism was 84.5 (36 -132) hours. All the patients had received previous detumescence treatment but failed before referred to our hospital. Irrigation/aspiration was performed at first, which achieved complete detumescence in 1 case and partial or transitional detumescence in the other 7. Subsequently, bilateral Al-Ghorab shunt was tried and succeeded in 2 cases but failed in 5. Finally, T-shunt was conducted, which achieved complete resumption in all the remaining 5 cases. Follow-up data were available in 5 of the cases, which were followed up for 12 -66 (mean 54) months. Of the 5 cases, moderate ED occurred in 2, and complete ED in 3. The latter 3 had suffered a longer duration of IP than the former 2.

CONCLUSIONIf detumescence failes, early intervention by T-shunt can improve the success rate of IP treatment.