Abstract

Ranvid Khan Shakarn

The sickle cell disorder is a common disabling disease that profoundly affects human morbidity, mortality and quality of life. Priapism in sickle cell disease is a condition that causes sustained, painful, and unwanted erection of the penis in boys or men without any sexual stimulation. Sickled cells are short lived and can cause vaso-occlusive crisis in affected persons. A few case reports have shown the rare occurrence of priapism in sickle cell disease in India. This hospital based study showed around 2.97% prevalence of priapism in cases suffering from sickle cell disease in a tertiary hospital at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh of Central India. The present study reports the lower fetal hemoglobin (mean, 8.5%) in two of the three cases, and elevated serum bilirubin level (mean, 4.4 mg/dl) and higher platelet (mean, 351.7 m/mm3) and reticulocyte (mean, 8.7%) counts of all patients studied with priapism in sickle cell disease, indicating erythropoietic imbalance. It is a common practice in India that any problem related to sex or sex organs is intentionally not disclosed (kept secret) to elderly family members because of shyness or psycho-social implications or due to a stigma attached to it. It is rarely brought to the notice of a medical doctor. This is due to utter lack of sex education that results in deteriorated health complications in rural areas of the state. Priapism in sickle cell disease is a pathological condition of penile erection and recovery of erectile function is dependent on prompt counseling and urgent intervention. Priapism should be considered as a medical and surgical emergency and efforts should be made to educate both professionals and vulnerable population as well.