Mucocutaneous findings in pediatric patients with bone marrow transplantation

Background and Design: Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is performed for many malign and non-malign diseases in pediatric patients. Cutaneous signs in transplant patients are usually encountered in the presence of underlying primary diseases or due to the intense conditioning regimens that include chemotherapy and radiotherapy protocols. In this study, it is aimed to define mucocutaneous changes in pediatric patients with BMT. Materials and Methods: A total of 44 patients, in whom BMT was planned between 2010 and 2011, were included in the study. Dermatological examinations were performed at the beginning of the study and were repeated once a week in the first month, once a month in the following 5 months; and once in every 3 months in the last 1.5 years of follow-up. Results: Forty-one patients were completed the study. The mean age of 41 patients was 9.24 years (range: 1-17 years). Of the subjects, 26 (64%) were male and 15 (36%) were female. Dermatological signs, in order of frequency, were mucositis (75.6%), xeroderma (70.7%), alopecia (46.3%), nail disorders (24.3%), inflammatory skin diseases (24.2%), aphthous stomatitis (22%), cutaneous hyperpigmentation (22%), graft versus host diseases (17.1%), infectious diseases (15.5%), and maculopapular rash (4.8%). Conclusion: Dermatological diseases can be frequently observed in BMT patients. Close monitoring of dermatological signs is important to minimize the complications of the treatment in this patient group