Anxiety disorders in patients with idiopathic priapism: risk factor and pathophysiologic link?

INTRODUCTION

A scientific explanation remains elusive for many presentations of recurrent ischemic priapism.

AIM: The aim of this article was to evaluate the possible clinical association between idiopathic priapism and anxiety disorders.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients without identifiable, presumed etiologies for their priapism disorders presented consecutively to a single practitioner's clinical practice and underwent clinical history evaluation and management over a 2(1/2)-year interval.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome is the documentation of patient demographics and clinical profiles relating to medical history and priapism presentations.

RESULTS

Anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder were self-reported in 10 patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The possible association between idiopathic priapism and anxiety disorders lends support for a central neurobiologic pathophysiology for the erectile disorder. Further neuropsychiatric studies of this clinical population is required to confirm the hypothesis.