Patient's question:
Every night, the penis remains erect and does not soften, meaning it stays hard while sleeping, and the erection lasts for a very long time. When waking up, it becomes soft. This condition has been going on for almost a month. What could be the reason for this? What precautions should be taken?Doctor's answer:
Hello: The causes of priapism can be divided into primary and secondary categories. The cause of primary priapism is still unclear. The causes of secondary penile priapism include four types:A. Neurogenic: Caused by spinal nerve or nerve lesions around the genital area, such as spinal cord injury, neurosyphilis, etc.
B. Mechanical: Caused by late pelvic tumors, infiltration, compression, sustained external force (e.g., metal rings) on the base of the penis, or local penile trauma.
C. Hematologic: Leukemia, true polycythemia, sickle cell anemia, thrombophlebitis, phosphoglucoisomerase deficiency, etc.
D. Medication-related: Thiazide diuretics, testosterone, hydralazine (so-called "aphrodisiacs"), etc.