A man has suffered from penile necrosis after injectingcocaineinto his phallus , his doctors have reported in theAmerican Journal of Case Reports .
The 35 - year - quondam showed up at the emergency section following three days of intense member and scrotal painfulness , as well as in his seawall and right substructure . Upon review , the team found that he had protuberance of the member , as well as gangrene ( death of tissue paper ) , ulcers along the slam , and foul - smelling firing .
Gangrene was ruled out , as were any sexually transmitted infections , and he was given antibiotics while the team cared for his wounds . It was suggested that they cut away the idle tissue paper on his penis , which the man refused . However , after 15 days in hospital , his wounds had improved , and infection was contained .
During his stay , the man reported that he had a long chronicle of intravenous ( i.v . ) drug use , which had damage other shot sites . With options running low , he turned to the dorsal venous blood vessel in his penis . After using the vein double in the anterior two workweek , he receive contiguous pain on the third injection .
The team highlight that the use of this vein is associated with penile necrosis as well as gangrene , and so drug users need to be inform of the potential risks involved .
to boot , they note that 80 percent of the cocaine appropriate in the United States is laced with levamisole – a medication used to treat parasitic louse transmission – in order of magnitude to increase net income , as well as heighten the effects of the cocaine high . The drug is tie in with the development of necrotizing vasculitis ( rubor of the blood watercraft walls ) as well as necrotic lesions . This may have contributed to the damage done to his phallus , though they were unable to take a urine trial for the front of the drug as it had been more than 48 60 minutes since he had injected the cocain .
" Our pillowcase highlights the grandness of take a thorough history from i.v . drug users , as they are at risk of exposure of shoot drugs into unusual site , such as the dorsal penile vein , " the team close in their report .
" It is important for the physician to rede fighting i.v . drug users regarding possible complications of injecting drug in untypical and dangerous shot sites . "
The only treatment that could prevent further problems is the surcease of cocaine use , they note . Therefore , counseling and drug rehabilitation syllabus are recommended . Unfortunately , upon discharge from the infirmary , the man refused drug rehabilitation and was later lost to follow - up .
