PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Barend Albert Dreyer
AU  - Tarik Amer
AU  - Michael Fraser
TI  - Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan
AID  - 10.1136/bcr-2018-227644
DP  - 2019 Feb 01
TA  - BMJ Case Reports
PG  - e227644
VI  - 12
IP  - 2
4099  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/2/e227644.short
4100  - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/2/e227644.full
SO  - BMJ Case Reports2019 Feb 01; 12
AB  - 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.