Unilateral embolization of an arterio-cavernous fistula in the treatment of post-traumatic non-ischemic-priapism: permanent coiling after immediate temporary agent failure

Carolina Dominguez Aleixo; Christoph Erxleben; Emre Baysal; Fabiola Leibling; Maximilian de Bucourt; Bernhard Gebauer; Julian Lenk

doi:10.1186/s42155-025-00547-w

Unilateral embolization of an arterio-cavernous fistula in the treatment of post-traumatic non-ischemic-priapism: permanent coiling after immediate temporary agent failure

CVIR Endovasc. 2025 Apr 24;8(1):34. doi: 10.1186/s42155-025-00547-w.

Authors

Carolina Dominguez Aleixo¹, Christoph Erxleben², Emre Baysal³, Fabiola Leibling⁴, Maximilian de Bucourt², Bernhard Gebauer², Julian Lenk²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany. carolina.aleixo@charite.de.
² Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
³ Department of Urology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
⁴ Department of Radiology, Unfallkrankenhaus, Berlin, Germany.

Abstract

A healthy 24-year-old male patient presented with a history of straddle-trauma from a bicycle accident and concomitant non-ischemic-priapism lasting for ten days. On a contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan an arterio-cavernous fistula establishing a connection between the right cavernosal artery and the ipsilateral corpus cavernosum was diagnosed. Super-selective unilateral arterial embolization was performed using gelatin sponge and microcoils. Technical success became evident with the consecutive detumescence of the penis and long-term preservation of baseline urogenital functions.

Keywords: Angiography; Embolization; Non-ischemic-priapism; Penile trauma; Unilateral arterio-cavernous fistula.