Prolonged and painful erections: the new symptom of Covid-19?

COVID-19 never ceases to amaze us: went from being an eminently respiratory disease to a multisystem condition. Which indicates that the virus can directly affect many organs and systems of the body. The latest known is the new symptom consisting of prolonged and painful erections, which have occurred in patients over 60 years of age.

One of the most disturbing problems with the disease is its ability to cause a very intense inflammatory phenomena in the body. Where the formation of blood clots is a very common complication.

The changes and alterations at the inflammatory level caused by the disease can have multiple manifestations. And there was already an idea that they could affect the reproductive system. So priapism is a surprise that was expected to occur at any moment. This condition occurs when blood is trapped in the penis. Its symptoms are erections lasting more than four hours unrelated to sexual stimulation.

The two known cases

The American Journal of Emergency Medicine indicates that the first case occurred in Ohio, it refers to a 69 year old man with a history of obesity who was admitted to the intensive care unit after a week with respiratory symptoms. Which were related to Covid-19.

After 10 days of treatment, his lungs began to fail and he was placed on his stomach, an emergency technique used to help air move better throughout his body. 12 hours later the doctors put him back on his back, the nurses they noticed that his shaft was erect. After three hours, unable to fix the situation with an ice pack, doctors drained the blood from the man's penis with a needle. This was the only solution to the attack of priapism.

The second case refers to June, and was published in the same magazine. It was a similar situation a 62 year old mans assisted in Versailles, on the outskirts of Paris who had contracted the coronavirus experienced a four-hour erection resistant to the ice pack. It also required being drained with a needle and is believed to have been caused by blood clots. Before contracting the new disease, the man had no history of blood clots.

In his case, he was treated with ethylephrine and also an antithrombotic, because it was suspected that the clots could have plugged the veins in the penis that prevented the erection from descending. Fortunately, the treatment was effective and the general condition of the patient improved. 14 days later, assisted respiration was withdrawn and he was discharged.

Once a review of the cases was carried out, the specialists conclude that the thromboembolic complications that occur in 30% of severe cases of Covid-19 had this rare manifestation. Which prevents blood from leaving the cavernous ducts of the penis.

there is not yet enough evidence to identify priapism as a direct consequence of the disease.