Physiopathology of the Priapism Secondary to Tamsulosin: Clinical Cases of Our Hospital and Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Objective: To describe two cases of man with the diagnosis of ischemic priapism after the intake of tamsulosin and to revise the scientific literature. Methods: We present two cases of men that developed an ischemic priapism after the intake of tamsulosin prescribed for STUI and were treated in our hospital. We described the two cases, from the diagnosis until the surgery that was performed. Also, we review the scientific literature about this topic. Results: In one hand, a 67 years old man with the previous diagnosis of diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipidemia that take a one single dosis of tamsulosin and developed a priapism of 9 hours of duration. He was diagnosticated of low-flow priapism that was reverted after the use of intracavernosal phenylephrine. On the other hand, a 61 years old man without any medical condition. He developed a priapism after the intake of also one single dosis of tamsulosin and came to the hospital after 48 hours of the beginning of the erection. In this case, the use of intracavernosal phenylephrine wasn´t effective so we decided to performed a distal shunt between cavernosal and spongy body according to the techniques of Winter, Ebbehoj and Al-Ghorab. All of them without results. At the end, we tried a proximal shunt according Quackles technique, also ineffective. The patient declined another surgery for implantation of a pennis prothesis and went home after four days of hospitalization with the disappearance of the pain. Conclusions: The tamsulosin is a drug well known by urologist that have a safety profile probed with the years. Nevertheless, it's association with a disease like the priapism forced us to explain to our patients this rare adverse effect (AU)

RESUMEN

Objetivo: Describir la fisiopatología del priapismoasociado a tamsulosina a través de dos casos clínicos tratados en nuestro centro.Método: Se presentan dos casos de varones que desarrollan un priapismo isquémico tras la toma de tamsulosina yque fueron tratados en nuestro hospital. Describimos amboscasos, desde el diagnóstico hasta el tratamiento. Además,revisamos la literatura científica sobre dicho tema.Resultado: Introducimos el caso de un hombre de 67años con comorbilidad cardiovascular que desarrolla un priapismo isquémico de 9 horas de duración que revirtió confenilefrina intracavernosa. Por otro lado, se presenta el casode un varón de 61 años sin patología de base con un priapismo de 48 horas que no mejoró tras tratamiento conservador ni tras cirugía de derivación cavernoso-esponjosa.Conclusiones: La tamsulosina es un fármaco seguroque en, raras ocasiones, puede asociarse a un priapismo isquémico. (AU)