Severe oligozoospermia in a young man with chronic myeloid leukemia on long-term treatment with imatinib started before puberty

Objective: To report the effect of long-term treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib started before the onset of puberty on semen parameters, bone mineral density, and hormone values. Design: Case report. Setting: University hospital. Patient(s): An 18-year-old man given treatment with imatinib for chronic myeloid leukemia. Intervention(s): Clinical, biochemical and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry evaluations. Main Outcome Measure(s): Semen analysis, serum levels of gonadotropins, inhibin-B, and testosterone, bone mineral density, markers of skeletal homeostasis. Result(s): Semen analyses showed severe oligozoospermia after long-term administration of imatinib started before puberty. The inhibin-B/FSH ratio was reduced. A low bone mineral density for chronologic age was observed. Conclusion(s): This case study documents the potential risk of an impairment of semen parameters in patients undergoing a treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors before the complete maturation of the testis. (Fertil Steril (R) 2011;95:1120.e15-e17. (c) 2011 by American Society for Reproductive Medicine.)