Priapism occurred in ten patients undergoing treatment of depression with trazodone or impotence with papaverine. Trazodone-related priapism uniformly required surgical procedures and resulted in impotence in two of three cases. In contrast, papaverine-associated priapism was successfully managed by aspiration and all seven patients continued to respond to intracorporal treatment. Iatrogenic priapism is an important complication of therapy with vasoactive drugs.