Greek legend encompasses the tale of King of Troy, Priam. Priam was the husband of Hecuba and he allegedly fathered fifty children. After his son Hector was killed by the Greeks, Priam made a plea to Achilles for the body of his slain son. Once the Greeks broke through the gates of Troy, Priam was killed by the son of Achilles, Neoptolemus. Because of his prolific fathering, Priam is the source of the name for a male sexual dysfunction known as Priapism. Priapism is often a syndrome that is associated with other diseases such as leukemia and sickle-cell anemia. Because of the nature of those diseases, individuals stricken with them often suffer from Priapism also. Priapism is “a problem with the penis remaining erect too long. This is often painful and is not often linked to being sexually excited. It may be caused by urinary stone or a sore inside the penis or the central nervous system. It sometimes occurs in men who have sickle-cell anemia or severe leukemia. Treatment may include surgery” (Mosby, 1996, 1).
One interesting factor with regard to Priapism is its increased incidence since the early 1980s. While it develops from causes that are unknown or as a secondary condition to other diseases, ever since the development of pharmacological treatment for impotence its incidence has risen leading researchers to suspect that methods of treating impotence make the individual at risk for the development of Priapism. Aspiration of blood, intracavernous injections and, in severe cases, glando-cavernous anastomosis are the main methods of treatment for Priapism. However, impotency medications are suspect as producing the condition as a side affect in many individuals, “Priapism is defined as a pathological state: a prolonged, generally painful erection not accompanied by sexual desire not ending with an ejaculation. Rare before 1980, Priapism became more frequent after introduction o
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