Penile self-amputation due to cannabis-induced psychosis: a case report
Nantanan Jengsuebsant, Sirapat Benjachaya, Jaraspong Vuthiwong, Theerapon Tangsuwanaruk
Journal of Medical Case Reports December 1, 2022 DOI: 10.1186/s13256-022-03267-0 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 23-year-old Thai man with a two-year history of cannabis use |
| Intervention | Cannabis |
| Dose | two bongs (2 g equivalence) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | The authors report that cannabis-induced psychosis can impair judgment and lead to unexpected self-harm, as illustrated by a man who amputated his own penis after smoking cannabis. They argue that a multidisciplinary team, including primary care, emergency, urology, and psychiatry, is essential for managing such patients. |
Abstract
Abstract Background In recent decades, cannabis has been widely used around the world for medical and recreational purposes, both legally and illegally. Aside from its therapeutic benefits, cannabis exhibits many adverse effects. Psychosis is one of the potentially harmful effects of cannabis. Case presentation A 23-year-old Thai man, who reported cannabis use for 2 years and discontinued for 3 months, restarted smoking two bongs (2 g equivalence) of cannabis. Two hours later, he had a penile erection, felt a severe persistent sharp pain in his penis, and reported that his glans looked distorted. Intending to eradicate the pain, he decided to trim the penile skin several times and completely amputated his penis himself using scissors. Cannabis-induced psychosis was diagnosed because symptoms began after cannabis use, without evidence of other substance abuse. To confirm the cannabis exposure, his urine immunoassay was positive for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). The distal penis was deemed too dirty and fragile for reconstruction. Bleeding was controlled, penile stump irrigated and debrided, and scrotal urethrostomy was performed by a urologist. After admission and cannabis discontinuation, his delusion and hallucination subsided. Conclusions Cannabis-induced psychosis is an adverse effect of cannabis, which may lead to impaired judgement unexpected self-harm. A multidisciplinary team approach, including a primary care physician, an emergency physician, a urologist, and a psychiatrist, is essential when dealing with a patient with cannabis-induced psychosis and a urogenital injury.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder after psilocybin consumption: a case study 18-year-old man with HPPD after mixed psilocybin and cannabis intoxication | 2005 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Cannabis‐induced Koro in Americans American men aged 22-26 with years of cannabis experience who reported negative... | 2001 | Case series | n = 3 |
| “Hallucinations” Following Acute Cannabis Dosing: A Case Report and Comparison to Other Hallucinogenic Drugs Healthy 30-year-old male | 2018 | Case study | n = 1 |
| Hallucinogen persisting perception disorder: A literature review and three case reports Patients with hallucinogen persisting perception disorder | 2018 | Case series | n = 3 |
| Cannabis Psychosis in Young Psychiatric Inpatients Consecutive psychiatric hospital admissions of patients aged 35 and under | 1986 | Case study | n = 25 |