TY - JOUR T1 - Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan JF - BMJ Case Reports JO - BMJ Case Reports DO - 10.1136/bcr-2018-227644 VL - 12 IS - 2 SP - e227644 AU - Barend Albert Dreyer AU - Tarik Amer AU - Michael Fraser Y1 - 2019/02/01 UR - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/2/e227644.abstract N2 - Melanocortin analogues, such as melanotan, are illegally used for artificial tanning. They have also been suggested as possible therapeutic agents in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. This case study presents a patient attending the accident and emergency department, in a tertiary urology centre, with acute priapism after abdominal subcutaneous injection of melanotan. The priapism was diagnosed as ‘low-flow’ and managed with cavernosal aspiration, irrigation and subsequent intracavernosal injection of phenylephrine. The patient avoided requiring surgical shunting but had not yet recovered erectile function at 4-week follow-up. Acute priapism is an unreported side effect of melanocortin analogue use and this case report presents a patient managed without surgical intervention. Future therapeutic application of these agents will need to take this potential life altering complication into consideration. ER -