Sclerodermatous manifestation of chronic graft versus host disease: therapy challenges

Abstract

Chronic graft versus host disease (cGHVD) is one of the most serious complications after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). It varies in between patients, often leading to systemic and functional limitations. It can be challenging considering the heterogeneity of patients. The objective of this paper is to present clinical aspects of sclerodermatous manifestation of cGVHD as a complication of allo-HCT in pediatric patients. We diagnosed three patients with different sclerodermatous skin involvement and cGVHD features. The treatment applied varied among patients and was based on current available standards of care. We analyzed effectiveness of systemic steroid therapy, extracorporeal photopheresis and ruxolitinib. In conclusion, all patients achieved improvement in skin leasions and quality of life, based on the individualized treatment approach.