Bone Marrow Transplant: Chronic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease
Learn more about how bone marrow recipients can react to donations.
After someone has a bone marrow transplant (BMT), the donated bone marrow or stem cells (graft) can attack healthy tissue in a patient’s (host’s) body. This is called graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). When this happens, a patient’s organs and tissues may not work like they’re supposed to.
- There are two types of GVHD – chronic (cGVHD) and acute (aGVHD).
- Chronic GVHD usually happens after the first 100 days following a BMT.
- Most patients that get cGVHD had aGVHD before.
- cGVHD is more common in patients that have had an allogeneic BMT. Allogeneic means the donated graft was from someone other than the patient.
Signs and Symptoms
- Shortness of breath
- Dry, flaky skin
- Food tastes differently
- Dry, itchy eyes
- Cannot sweat
- Dry, cracking, or peeling fingernails
- Skin feels tighter
- Dry mouth
- Sensitive to light
- Weight loss
- Some hair loss
- Changes in liver function tests
- Change in skin color
- Mouth sores
- Hard time swallowing
- Early graying of hair
- Joint pain and stiffness
- Burning feeling with toothpaste or acidic foods
Treatment
Your child’s health care provider will talk to you about the best treatment option(s) for them.
- cGVHD is usually treated with drugs that weaken the immune system. Having a weak immune system means it’s easier to get sick. You and your child will need to take steps to prevent infection.
- Treatment could last several months.
- Your child may be prescribed a cream to put on their skin. The cream will help with their skin rash.
- Keep your child protected from the sun. Apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more any time they’re outside.
Long-Term Effects
Most patients recover from cGVHD. However, some symptoms may last for several years, which include:
- Long-term skin sensitivity – avoid longer periods of time exposed to sunlight
- Skin scarring
- Eye irritation – can be managed with eye drops
- Weight loss
- Long-term diarrhea
If you have any questions or are concerned that your child has signs or symptoms of cGHVD, please ask your child’s BMT health care provider.
Helping Hands Patient Education Materials
Written and illustrated by medical, nursing and allied health professionals at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Helping Hand instructions are intended as a supplement to verbal instructions provided by a medical professional. The information is periodically reviewed and revised to reflect our current practice. However, Nationwide Children's Hospital is not responsible for any consequences resulting from the use or misuse of the information in the Helping Hands.
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