Low-dose imatinib mesylate causing subdural hematoma in remission phase of chronic myeloid leukemia: A rare phenomenon

Abstract

Chronic subdural hematoma (SDH) is associated with trauma, antiplatelet therapy, anticoagulant medications, long-term alcohol abuse, arteriovenous malformations, and even postcraniotomy. However, SDH associated with imatinib mesylate (IM) treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is rare that too in the remission phase of CML is even rarer. Among the cases of CML in remission phase, the literature review of those with SDH revealed that IM was taken in a dose of 800 mg per day. We report a case of SDH in a 70-year-old gentleman who was in the chronic remission phase of CML and was treated with IM 400 mg per day by hematologist.