Intracorporeal pressure monitoring during artificial penile erection

In an effort to determine if artificial penile erection has any harmful effect in children intracorporeal pressures were measured in 12 boys (mean age 18 months) with mid shaft hypospadias. Using a solid state intracompartmental pressure monitoring system, intracorporeal pressures were obtained during full penile erection and after removal of the tourniquet at detumescence. The mean intracorporeal pressure obtained was 85.9 mm. Hg during erection and 21.6 mm. Hg at detumescence. The systemic arterial pressure obtained was 102 mm. Hg at full erection. The pressure studies would suggest that the intracorporeal pressures achieved during full artificial erection would not be harmful to the cavernosal tissue in the hypospadiac child.