[Ambulatory treatment and prevention of priapism using alpha-agonists. Apropos of 172 cases].

From 1985 to 1995, 172 patients (149 on self intracavernous injection of vasoactive drugs, 16 with Sickle cell disease, 6 surgical patients under heparin therapy, and 1 after oral administration of trazodone), having experienced one or several episodes of priapism, lasting from 3 h to 8 days have been treated or submitted to self medication with alpha-agonist agents (eprephrine, phenylephrine or etilefrine) with an eventual drainage of the corporae. All episodes have disappeared and sexual function was preserved. A conservative treatment of priapism has been designed using corporal drainage and intracavernous etilefrine for acute priapism; as well as preventive treatment for those of the patients exposed to Sickle cell disease to avoid surgery and its frequent fribrotic sequelae, leading to impotence in 50% of the cases.