Multifactorial sleep disturbance in Klinefelter syndrome: a case report

Klinefelter syndrome (KS), which is related to the presence of an additional X chromosome in a man, is associated with a broad variety of physical and psychosocial impairments. While the focus is usually placed on symptoms related to hypogonadism, such as infertility, recent studies have noted evidence of poor sleep in those patients.

We report on the case of a 44-year-old man with KS who consulted in our Sleep medicine center for excessive daytime sleepiness and delayed sleep with irregular patterns. Polysomnography (PSG) revealed sleep apnea syndrome, with both obstructive and central apnea. Peripheral temperature monitoring revealed patterns indicative of altered melatonin secretion. The present case report suggests that sleep disturbance in patients with KS appears multifactorial with the occurrence of: obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), iatrogenic central apnea due to testosterone therapy, and circadian sleep/wake disorder.

While this topic warrants larger studies with control groups, this case report suggests there might be specific sleep impairments, associated with three different mechanisms, in patients with KS. Those sleep disorders can worsen psycho-social and cognitive difficulties in those patients, and should therefore be screened for and treated.