Researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital may have discovered a surprising cure for a rare lymphatic condition in children, according to a School of Medicine press release. The sildenafil drug, commonly known as Viagra, has shown potential to cure these malformations and is the subject of a new clinical trial at the School of Medicine and Packard Children’s Hospital.           

Lymphangiomas “are overgrowths of the one-way lymph channels that return extra fluid from our tissues to the bloodstream,” read the School of Medicine press release. “Rarely, in infants and children, these channels grow abnormally large and cause deformity and death.”

While lymphangiomas are mainly cosmetic, the risk that the lymphangiomas could interfere with organs such as the heart, lungs and throats necessitates medical action. Physicians noticed five months ago that sildenafil, which was being used as a blood pressure medication, also had surprising affects on lymphatic malformations.

“There has been no medical treatment for lymphangiomas; now all of the sudden there may be one,” Al Lane, a physician investigating the correlation, said in the  press release. While the function of the drug in treating dermatological illness is still unknown, Lane said he suspects that it might help to drain the channels of the lymphatic system.

While Viagra is most commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction, previous use of the drug to treat pulmonary hypertension in children reveals possible side effects, including nausea, headaches and, in a few rare cases, spontaneous erections.

As of yet, the research team has treated three cases of lymphangioma, which have been documented and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Before they start routinely treating patients, however, the researchers will need to secure proper U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval through a placebo-controlled trial.

— Jordan Shapiro