Korean J Med.  1998 Sep;55(3):420-426.

Hepatic Graft-Versus-Host Disease: Three Cases Proven By Laparoscopic Liver Biopsy

• Choi H
• Han JY
• Lee JW
• Kim JK
• Kim CC
• Chung KW
• Sun HS
• Kim DJ

Abstract

Hepatic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) occurs in nearly one-third of recipients of HLA-identical sibling bone marrow transplantation (BMT), and is a major cause of morbidity and mortality following BMT. Hepatic dysfunction after BMT may result from a number of causes such as pretransplant chemoradiation, drugs for GVHD prophylaxis, venoocclusive disease, various infections, GVHD, and infiltration of recurrent malignancy. The clinical distinction of these causes may be difficult and the treatment of each causes is quite different. Therefore the early diagnosis of GVHD is very important. Hepatic GVHD is recognized to immunologic disorder such as primary biliary cirrhosis, and is characterized by cholestasis due to extensive bile duct damage and mild hepatocellular necrosis. In Korea, the occurrence of GVHD is about 20-45%. We report three cases of severe hepatic GVHD after allogeneic BMT, which were proven by laparoscopic liver biopsy in 1996. There were differences in primary illness, associated condition and disease progression.

Keyword

GVHD; Liver; Laparoscopy

MeSH Terms

Bile Ducts
Biopsy*
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Cholestasis
Disease Progression
Early Diagnosis
Graft vs Host Disease*
Humans
Korea
Laparoscopy
Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary
Liver*
Mortality
Necrosis
Siblings