Ischaemic Priapism: A Complication of Self-Administered Hyaluronic Acid Gel as an Injectable Filler for Penile Augmentation

ABSTRACT

Background: Injectable hyaluronic acid (HA) gel has emerged as a widely used soft tissue filler for surgeries. In penile reconstructivesurgery, HA gel has been employed for penile or glans augmentation in selected patients diagnosed with micropenis.This augmentation technique involves injecting the gel into submucosal tissue and increasing the size of the penis for approximately1 year. A few studies have investigated the possible complications correlated with medically assisted penile injections ofHA gel. However, no previous reports have shown the complications of self-administered HA injection. This case report aims topresent the first documented case of ischaemic priapism as a complication of self-administered HA injection.Case Presentation We present the case of a 43-year-old male who self-administered a 20 mL injection of HA into the dorsal sideof his penis. The injected material probably reached the corpora cavernosa, leading to priapism within a few hours. However,the patient did not seek medical attention until 72 h later. The first two initial conservative attempts of blood drainage wereunsuccessful because the gel had obstructed vein drainage, causing the penis to remain in a state of priapism. The final treatmentapproach involved shunting, high enoxaparin doses and oral Effortil administration.Conclusions: While complications from medically assisted HA injections have been documented, this case report sheds light onthe complications arising from self-administered penile injections. Priapism is a severe medical condition that requires immediatetreatment to avoid potentially serious long-term consequences. Healthcare providers and patients must acknowledge itssymptoms and its appropriate course of treatment, especially in the context of penile medical injections. (AU)