RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Melanotan-induced priapism: a hard-earned tan
JF BMJ Case Reports
JO BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e227644
DO 10.1136/bcr-2018-227644
VO 12
IS 2
A1 Barend Albert Dreyer
A1 Tarik Amer
A1 Michael Fraser
YR 2019
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/2/e227644.abstract
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.