Chronic graft versus host disease (cGvHD) most commonly affects:
Many symptoms and signs are non-specific and are variably present in individual patients. The way in which different organ systems are affected are described in different sections of the "late effects" section. Please follow the links:
Organ System |
Symptom |
Signs |
Skin |
- Pruritus
- Dry, tight skin
- Sweat impairment
|
- Poikiloderma
- Lichen planus-like features
- Sclerotic Skin
- Morphea-like features
- Lichen sclerosis-like features
- Depigmentation
|
Nails |
|
- Dystrophy
- Onycholysis
- Nail Loss
|
Scalp & body hair |
- Loss of hair
- Premature graying
|
- Alopecia with scarring
- Thinning of hair
|
Oropharynx |
- Dry mouth (xerostomia)
- Painful ulcerations
- Altered taste sensation
|
- Lichen-type features
- Hyperkeratotic plaques
- Restriction of mouth opening from TMJ sclerosis
- Mucoceles
- Ulceration
|
Eyes and lacrimal glands |
- Dry and gritty eyes (sicca symptoms)
- Painful eyes
- Photophobia
|
- Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
- Blepharitis
- Periorbital hyperpigmentation
- Punctate keratopathy
|
Genitalia |
|
- Lichen-planus-like features
- Vaginal scarring and stenosis
|
Gastrointestinal |
- Anorexia
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Malnutrition
- Diarrhea
- Bloating and cramps
|
- Weight loss / Failure to thrive
- Esophageal web causing strictures or stenosis of upper esophagus
- Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
|
Hepatic |
|
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- Hypertransaminitis
|
Pulmonary |
- Decreased exercise tolerance
- Dyspnea at rest
- Cough
|
|
Muscles
Fascia
Joints |
- Joint stiffness
- Joint contractures
- Joint swelling
- Joint pain
- Muscle pain
|
- Arthritis
- Fascitis
- Myositis
- Joint contractures
- Edema
|
Hematopoietic |
|
- Autoimmune thrombocytopenia
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- Eosinophilia
|
Immune System |
- Recurrent infections (viral and bacterial)
|
- Hyposplenism (common)
- Hypogammaglobulinemia
- Generally immunosuppressed
|
Other |
|
- Autoantibodies (ANA, anti-dsDNA, Coombs positive)
- Myasthenia Gravis
- Nephrotic Syndrome
|
