[Value of cavernous gasometry in the physiopathologic diagnosis and treatment of priapism].

Currently, each case of priapism therapy must be customized depending on the patient's individual pathophysiology. To this end, in addition to anamnesis and the macroscopic aspect of the suctioned blood, quantification of existing ischaemia by cavernous gasometry is quite important. This will make possible the distinction between two types of priapism: ischaemic, vein-occlusive or low-flow; and nonischaemic, arterial or high-flow. Each of these priapism types presents a clearly different mechanism of production and, more importantly, a different response to the various therapeutic options currently available. The ischaemic form responds to suction-washing procedures and to the various techniques of vein by-pass. On the contrary, these manoeuvres will be useless in non-ischaemic or arterial priapism, where alpha-adrenergic injections or lacerated artery embolization should to be used.