Systematic Review: Interventions in Sickle Cell Disease-Related Priapism in Reducing Overall Morbidity, Recurrence, and Side Effects

This systematic review analyzed nine studies involving 300 patients to evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions for sickle cell disease (SCD)-related priapism in reducing overall morbidity, recurrence, and side effects. The interventions and outcomes were clinically heterogeneous, indicating the need for further research. Promising strategies include etilefrine, pseudoephedrine/etilefrine-5 inhibitors, and finasteride. The review highlights the importance of quality of life assessments and molecular studies for developing pharmacological treatments. This is the first attempt to reach a consensus on SCD-related priapism treatment, emphasizing the need for studies with strong internal validity and causality designs.