Leech Therapy for Treating Priapism: Case Report
Asgari SA, Rostami S, Teimoori M (2017) · Iranian Journal of Public Health · n=1
RCT-EvidenzdetailsStudienreferenz
Studienprofil
- Design
- single-patient case report (26-year-old single male, Razi Hospital, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran)
- Stichprobengröße (n)
- 1
- Intervention
- Bilateral leech therapy with two leeches on each side of penile shaft for 2 hours, followed by one-hour break, then another cycle in same manner
- Komparator
- No control - case report
- Primärer Endpunkt
- Pain control and resolution of priapism (persistent painful penile erection without sexual stimulation)
- Primäres Ergebnis
- Significant pain reduction at 2-day follow-up despite persistent cavernosal swelling and tenderness; patient discharged after 3-day admission with complete resolution of pain and perineal swelling over 1 month
- Follow-up-Dauer
- 1 month with complete symptom resolution
- PMID
- 28845411
Wichtigste Ergebnisse
- Priapism resolution with bilateral leech therapy protocol
- Two leeches per side, 2-hour cycles with 1-hour breaks
- Significant 2-day pain reduction
- Complete resolution over 1 month
- Non-invasive alternative to surgical intervention
Einschränkungen
- Single case - hypothesis-generating only
- No mental disorders, trauma, or sickle cell anemia present
- Cannot quantify leech vs natural history contribution
- Limited generalizability to common priapism etiologies
- Off-label use beyond traditional K040187 indications
Klinische Implikationen
Asgari 2017 introduces hirudotherapy as a non-invasive alternative for refractory priapism management. For US clinicians under K040187, this Iranian case demonstrates extension of device indication to venous-congestion-mediated compartment syndromes outside traditional flap/replant contexts. However, the single-case design and absence of standard etiologies (trauma, sickle cell) limits clinical adoption.
Verwandte Studien
The Effectiveness of Leech Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain
Hohmann CD, Stange R, Steckhan N, Robens S, Ostermann T, Paetow A, Michalsen A (2018)
Hirudotherapy for limb ischemia in the pediatric intensive care unit: a retrospective observational cohort
Resch JC, Hedstrom R, Steiner ME, Said SM, Somani A (2023)
Study of the effect of leeching on plasma endothelin and soluble interleukin-2 receptor in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Cheng SP, Liu JL, Yuan J (2005)
Medicinal leech therapy in pain syndromes: a narrative review
Koeppen D, Aurich M, Rampp T (2013)