Chronic graft versus host disease is associated with erectile dysfunction in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients: a single-center experience

Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) is a procedure with life-threatening complications that in turn has the potential to cure a significant proportion of patients with otherwise fatal diseases. Although improvements in patient and donor selection, conditioning strategies, timing, and infection management have increased the probability of long-term survival, patients undergoing HSCT still remain exposed to a number of transplant-related morbidities. Among these chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), a multi-organ syndrome involving tissue inflammation and fibrosis, may affect patient quality of life in several aspects, including sexual functioning. Erectile dysfunction (ED) a multidimensional organic, relational and psychological disturbance of the erectile response has long been reported to affect a significant proportion of HSCT patients. Although predictors for ED (e.g. cardiopathy, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, depression) have been largely established in the general population few studies have addressed any variables specifically associated to ED in HSCT patients.