Posttraumatic arterial priapism in children: management with embolization.

Abstract

To evaluate selective embolization for management of posttraumatic priapism in preadolescent boys and color Doppler sonography for diagnosis of the causative lesion and for planning embolization. Five preadolescent boys with posttraumatic priapism underwent selective angiography and embolization. Color Doppler sonography was performed in the last three patients. Selective angiography showed an intracavernosal arteriovenous fistula in two patients, pseudoaneurysm of the cavernosal artery in two patients, and asymmetric cavernosal arterial flow in the other patient. After successful embolization, detumescence was achieved in all patients. Color Doppler sonography enabled localization and characterization of the lesion causing the priapism in the three patients. Angiography with selective embolization is a safe and effective method to correct posttraumatic priapism in children. Color Doppler sonography is a valuable preangiographic study, as it allows for characterization and localization of the causative lesion and obviates diagnostic cavernosal aspiration.