Polycythemia vera revealed via a bladder tumor in a patient with erectile dysfunction: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Polycythemia vera is a polyglobular myeloproliferative syndrome related to the mutation of multipotent hemopoietic stem cells. This case report describes a patient whose bladder tumor was associated with polycythemia vera and erectile dysfunction. The association of bladder neoplasia with polycythemia vera and erectile dysfunction has not previously been reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 40-year-old Moroccan man was followed up for a bladder tumor which manifested with coagulant hematuria and a facial erythrosis with a hemoglobin level of 20.3g/L suggesting polycythemia vera. The patient also suffered from an erectile disorder. Considering the anesthesia difficulty due to polyglobulia, the patient was treated by bleeding. This treatment enabled the patient’s sexual performance to be improved and adjustment of his hemoglobin to a level allowing anesthesia, and hence surgical resection of his bladder tumor. CONCLUSION: Erectile dysfunction associated with polycythemia vera is elucidated by rheological disorders. Bleeding contributed to satisfactory sexual performance and facilitated treatment of polycythemia vera because it enabled anesthesia to be performed and hence the surgical resection of the bladder tumor.