Epistaxis after PDE-5 inhibitors misuse

Abstract

A 32-year-old male presented to our department for recurrent epistaxis during sexual intercourses. The patient controlled the bleeding each time with sponge packs and gauzes. During the consultation, he volunteered that the trigger for the epistaxis appeared to have been misuse of phosphodiesterase (PDE)-5 inhibitors, Viagra and Cialis. This first report of epistaxis after PDE-5 inhibitors in a young patient underline the possibility that in the next years the number of similar cases might increase due to the diffusion of PDE-5 inhibitor misuse in recreational settings.