Chronic myeloid leukemia with sleep-related painful erections as a first symptom: a case report

• Published in: Journal of medical case reports Vol. 17; no. 1; pp. 1 - 511
• Main Authors: Han, Yao-dong, Chen, Hong-jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 30.11.2023; BMC
• Subjects: Blood; Bone marrow; Case Report; Chromosomes; Chronic myeloid leukemia; Disease; Eye movements; Granulocytes; Leukemia; Pain; Pathogenesis; Patients; Penis; Sexual intercourse; Sleep apnea; Sleep disorders; Sleep-related painful erections; Ultrasonic imaging; Veins & arteries
• ISSN: 1752-1947; 1752-1947
• DOI: 10.1186/s13256-023-04222-3

Abstract Background Sleep-related painful erections are characterized by deep penile pain that occurs during erections in the rapid eye movement stage of sleep. Case presentation This case presents a 43-year-old Chinese Han patient with sleep-related painful erections. Turgid painful erections (4–5 episodes of tumescence) during the sleep hours caused pain. Further, blood testing revealed an abnormal increase in white blood cells (123 × 10 9 /L). The patient was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia by bone marrow biopsy, BCR::ABL1 fusion gene testing, and Philadelphia chromosome . However, the sleep-related painful erections have dramatically decreased in frequency of erectile pain after chemotherapy for Chronic myeloid leukemia in our case. Conclusion We considered that the occurrence of sleep-related painful erections was related to chronic myeloid leukemia and the case might be secondary sleep-related painful erections.