Graft-versus-host disease in a patient with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma

A young man with acute lymphoblastic lymphoma on chemotherapy developed acute graft-versus-host disease following nonirradiated blood transfusions during a period of pancytopenia. The importance of the cutaneous manifestations, in particular the histopathologic changes, in facilitating an early diagnosis of the disease are stressed. The question of irradiating blood transfusions for immunosuppressed patients with malignancies is discussed.