Bone marrow transplantation in a patient with myelodysplasia associated with diffuse eosinophilic fasciitis

A 34-year-old man with diffuse eosinophilic fasciitis and a hypocellular myelodysplastic syndrome underwent marrow transplantation from an HLA-identical brother. Prompt hematopoietic reconstitution was observed, strongly suggesting that the marrow hypocellularity was caused by neither a serum inhibitory factor nor a microenvironmental disorder. The patient died of disseminated cytomegalovirus infection too early to evaluate the impact of hematopoietic reconstitution on the eosinophilic fasciitis. Nevertheless, marrow transplantation may offer a therapeutic option for those patients with this disorder who develop severe hematopoietic dysfunction and who have a suitable marrow donor.