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Updated: Jun 6, 2026
Murine Full-thickness Skin Transplantation
Published on: January 2, 2017
Clinicopathologic characteristics of cutaneous chronic graft-versus-host diseases: a retrospective study in Korean
Sun-Ji Kim1, Jung-Min Choi, Jung-Eun Kim
1Department of Dermatology, St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea.
Insights
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) presents diverse skin issues after stem cell transplants. Female donors to male recipients may increase cGVHD severity, impacting dermatologists
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Hematology
- Oncology
Background:
- Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a significant complication for long-term hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) survivors.
- Cutaneous manifestations are often the initial signs of cGVHD, necessitating dermatological awareness.
- Understanding the diverse presentations of cGVHD is crucial for effective patient management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze the clinical and histological features of cutaneous cGVHD in Korean HSCT recipients.
- To identify factors influencing the severity of cutaneous cGVHD.
- To describe the wide spectrum of skin manifestations in this patient population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective evaluation of 100 Korean HSCT recipients.
- Analysis of patient characteristics, clinical presentations, and histological findings of cutaneous cGVHD.
- Investigation of factors associated with cGVHD severity, including donor-recipient sex matching.
Main Results:
- Common clinical patterns included lichenoid (60.0%), erythematous maculopapular (22.0%), and sclerodermoid (12.0%) presentations.
- Nail abnormalities were present in 63.0% of evaluated patients.
- Histological findings showed lichenoid (53%), acute/chronic overlap (28%), and sclerodermoid (9%) patterns. HSCT from female donors to male recipients was linked to increased cGVHD severity.
Conclusions:
- Cutaneous cGVHD exhibits a broad range of clinical and histological manifestations in Asian patients.
- Dermatologists must recognize this spectrum for timely diagnosis and management.
- Donor-recipient sex matching is a potential factor influencing cGVHD severity.
Background:
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a major complication in long-term survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Cutaneous manifestations are frequently the presenting features; therefore, the dermatologist needs to be aware of the wide spectrum of cutaneous cGVHD.
Methods:
We retrospectively evaluated patients' characteristics, clinical, and histological features of cutaneous cGVHD and analyzed factors influencing the severity of cutaneous cGVHD in 100 Korean HSCT recipients between January 1, 1995, and December 31, 2007.
Results:
Clinical manifestations of cutaneous cGVHD mainly presented as lichenoid (60.0%), sclerodermoid (12.0%), or erythematous maculopapular (22.0%) patterns. Other less common findings included xerosis, dyspigmentation, acquired ichthyosis, eczema, exfoliative dermatitis, alopecia, erythema multiforme-like or keratosis pilaris-like eruption. Among 100 patients, 46 patients were investigated for nail involvement, and 29 (63.0%) of them were accompanied with nail abnormalities. Histologically, characteristic lichenoid lesions were observed in 53%, sclerodermoid in 9%, and acute/chronic overlap syndrome in 28% of patients. We also discovered that HSCT from female donors to male recipients increased the severity of cutaneous cGVHD.
Conclusions:
We report a large study about cutaneous cGVHD in Asian patients. Cutaneous cGVHD presented with a wide spectrum of clinical and histological manifestations.
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