Open AccessGraft Versus Host Disease
Author(s) -
Janeve Desy,
Marc Deschênes
Publication year - 1970
Publication title -
canadian journal of general internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2369-1778
pISSN - 1911-1606
DOI - 10.22374/cjgim.v11i2.140
Subject(s) - medicine , rash , maculopapular rash , liver transplantation , confusion , disease , diarrhea , cirrhosis , graft versus host disease , human leukocyte antigen , transplantation , complication , mortality rate , immunology , psychology , antigen , psychoanalysis
Graft Versus Host Disease (GVHD) is a rare complication of liver transplantation with a mortality rate exceeding 65%. A 53-year-old male presented with a diffuse maculopapular rash, diarrhea, lymphopenia, fever, and confusion 14 days after orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatitis B cirrhosis. Skin biopsy and HLA- typing of peripheral blood confirmed a diagnosis of solid organ transplant related GVHD. This report summarizes what is known about this disease and emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, which is one of the only factors known to improve the mortality of this deadly condition.