A Case of Intestinal GVHD after Allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation for Treatment of Severe Aplastic Anemia

Moon, Young Myung; Kang, Jin Kyung; Park, In Suh; Chung, Jae Bock; Moon, Hee Yon; Min, Yoo Hong; Lee, Seong Tae

Abstract

Bone marrow transplantation has become an accepted treatment for malignancy(particulary leukemia and lymphoma), aplastic anemia, and certain inborn errors of metabolism. In addition to the problem of severe, prolonged myelosuppression, bone marrow transplantation is associated with several unusual complications. Among the complications such as GVHD, graft rejection, interstitial pneumonia and veno-occlusive disease, involvement of the gastrointestinal tract by GVHD is associated with high graft failure and mortality. Intestinal GVHD is usually manifest clinically as voluminous secretory diarrhea accompanied by abdominal cramping, ileus, nutritional depletion, and, at times, hemorrhage. We experienced a case of severe intestinal GVHD after allogeneic marrow transplantation for treatment of severe aplastic anemia. He received bone marrow from his elder sister, HLA-matched multiparous woman and suffered from large amount of watery diarrhea with skin rash 34 days after transplantation. 1n spite of prednisolone therapy the symptom was progressed. After sigmoidoscopic mucosal biopsy, intestinal GVHD was confirmed and we tried methylprednisolone pulse therapy. Skin lesion was improved but the amount of diarrhea was increased with intermittent abdominal cramping. We tried ALG(anti-lymphocyte globulin) and conservative management but the patient did not respond the therapy. He succumbed to pneumonia and acute respiratory insufficiency complicated with GVHD, 70days after transplantation.