Priapism in an infant with sickle cell trait after cardiac transplant.
We report a case of priapism in a 6-month-old boy of African descent who had been receiving intravenous sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor. An orthotopic cardiac transplantation had been performed at 6 months of age, 2 months after he had received a Berlin heart. The pre-, peri-, and postoperative care required multiple transfusions, and postoperative pulmonary hypertension required treatment with intravenous sildenafil. He developed a series of prolonged, semitumescent erections (30-180 minutes) that resolved spontaneously without the need for urologic intervention. Subsequent investigations revealed he was a carrier of a sickle cell gene. Although the precise etiology of the prolonged penile erection is unclear, it was likely secondary to the use of sildenafil and the sickle cell trait.
Division of Urology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Chasta-Dawne
CD
Bacsu
Peter D
PD
Metcalfe
D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011317:Priapism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000209:etiology*; D011687:Purines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012805:Sickle Cell Trait / Q000150:complications*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use
D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate