Sildenafil-Induced Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Andrew Philip, Suneil Ramchandani, Kevin Dorrance, Colleen Dorrance
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2008)

Letters16 September 2008Sildenafil-Induced ThrombocytopeniaAndrew Philip, MD, Suneil Ramchandani, MD, MPH, Kevin Dorrance, MD, and Colleen Dorrance, DOAndrew Philip, MDFrom National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889., Suneil Ramchandani, MD, MPHFrom National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889., Kevin Dorrance, MDFrom National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889., and Colleen Dorrance, DOFrom National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889.Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-149-6-200809160-00021 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Drug-induced thrombocytopenia is a serious side effect that is typically due to platelet destruction caused by drug-induced antibodies (1, 2). Sildenafil is an approved treatment for both erectile dysfunction and pulmonary arterial hypertension and has not been previously associated with thrombocytopenia (3). Reports of any adverse reaction to this medication may have important consequences because more than 23 million patients were prescribed sildenafil from 1998 to 2005 (4).Objective: To describe a case of sildenafil-induced thrombocytopenia.Case Report: A 53-year-old woman was admitted with dyspnea and volume overload. Her medical history included coronary artery bypass surgery that resulted in ...References1. Aster RH, Bougie DW. Drug-induced immune thrombocytopenia. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:580-7. [PMID: 17687133] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. George JN, Raskob GE, Shah SR, Rizvi MA, Hamilton SA, Osborne S, et al. Drug-induced thrombocytopenia: a systematic review of published case reports. Ann Intern Med. 1998;129:886-90. [PMID: 9867731] LinkGoogle Scholar3. Galiè N, Ghofrani HA, Torbicki A, Barst RJ, Rubin LJ, Badesch D, et al; Sildenafil Use in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (SUPER) Study Group. Sildenafil citrate therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension. N Engl J Med. 2005;353:2148-57. [PMID: 16291984] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Jackson G, Gillies H, Osterloh I. Past, present, and future: a 7-year update of Viagra (sildenafil citrate). Int J Clin Pract. 2005;59:680-91. [PMID: 15924597] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Arepally GM, Ortel TL. Clinical practice. Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. N Engl J Med. 2006;355:809-17. [PMID: 16928996] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: From National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD 20889.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPancreatic cancer: diagnosis and treatmentsAcute Right Ventricular FailureRight Heart FailureDrugs acting on the cerebral and peripheral circulationsMedical and Surgical Treatment of Acute Right Ventricular FailureSafety and Quality Assessment of 175 Illegal Sexual Enhancement Products Seized in Red-Light Districts in Singapore 16 September 2008Volume 149, Issue 6Page: 437-439KeywordsAdverse reactionsAntibodiesDrugsErectile dysfunctionHeparinHospitalizationsPlateletsPulmonary hypertensionSleep apneaSurgery ePublished: 16 September 2008 Issue Published: 16 September 2008 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2008 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...