Pulmonary restriction secondary to cutaneous sclerosis caused by chronic graft versus host disease: Case Report

Chronic graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a major complication of the allogeneic stem cell transplant. One of most frequent manifestations of GVHD is the cutaneous compromise with the sclerodermatous variety being the most severe. We considered that the restrictive respiratory compromise and its evolution are not well characterized. We described the functional respiratory alterations of a patient with sclerodermatous chronic GVHD and considered differential diagnosis of pulmonary restriction in this type of patient. We reported the case of a 21-year-old woman with pulmonary restriction secondary to cutaneous sclerosis which was caused by chronic GVHD. This report illustrates the importance of utilizing both functional respiratory tests and diagnosis images to accurately characterize the cause of the respiratory compromise. We believe that the functional alterations described in this case could be caused by the cutaneous disorder found.