The Role of Pediatric Clinicians in the Diagnosis, Management, and Referral of Priapism in Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Disease.

Recurrent ischemic priapism is an underreported but significant and painful morbidity affecting about 33% of male individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD). Ischemic priapism is often associated with time-dependent irreversible sequelae of erectile dysfunction. A recent extensive survey showed that about 40% of the affected individuals with SCD had their first priapism experience before their 18th birthday. Nearly half of the patients with recurrent priapism failed to present to the hospital due to poor understanding of the clinical implications of the complication. This article discusses the role of pediatric clinicians in diagnosing and managing priapism.