El Jabiry SE, Mansour A, Barrimi M, Oneib B, El Ghazouani F. A very rare case of priapism under aripiprazole in a patient followed for bipolar disorder: A CARE-compliant report.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) 2021;
62:216-218. [PMID:
33537133 PMCID:
PMC7843361 DOI:
10.1016/j.amsu.2021.01.015]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 01/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE
Priapism is a urological emergency characterized by abnormally prolonged, painful and irreducible erection. It occurs without a sexual stimulation and habitually exceeds 6 h. About a half of iatrogenic priapisms are believed to be associated with antipsychotics. Until to date, very few cases of aripiprazole-associated priapism were reported.
CASE PRESENTATION
In this case report, we present the clinical findings of a 40-year-old patient that developed priapism after treatment with aripiprazole after his hospitalization for an episode of clinical mania following treatment discontinuation for bipolar I disorder. The management was successful and priapism was resolved spontaneously.
CLINICAL DISCUSSION
Despite its low affinity to alpha-1 adrenergic receptors, aripiprazole may be associated with priapism. Several potential factors involved in the pathogenesis of this adverse event have been reported in the literature including history of priapism in a different class of neuroleptics and consumption of psychoactive drugs which are the principal factors found in our case.
CONCLUSION
Priapism may occur even during treatment with antipsychotics that have a low affinity to alpha1-adrenergic receptors. All patients on antipsychotics should be informed about the risk of this rare but serious adverse event.
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