Chronic cutaneous graft-versus-host disease simulating hypertrophic lupus erythematosus--a case report of a new morphologic variant of graft-versus-host disease. uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • The spectrum of clinical and histopathologic features associated with chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is broad, with recognized variants simulating scleroderma, lichen sclerosus, eosinophilic fasciitis, and de novo diffuse melanoderma. We report a case of a patient with multiple myeloma who presented approximately 1 year after his allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation with lesions of chronic lichenoid GVHD that harbored features of hypertrophic lupus erythematosus (LE) and that was initially mistaken for a superficial well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). However, in 4 years of follow-up, the patient failed to develop any evidence of cutaneous or systemic LE, actinic damage, or SCC, and the lesions cleared with topical and systemic treatments appropriate for chronic GVHD. For proper interpretation of the histologic findings of GVHD, it is important for the dermatopathologist to be aware of unusual manifestations. Knowledge of the occurrence of hypertrophic LE and familiarity with its histologic features is also important to avoid an erroneous diagnosis of SCC in immunosuppressed patients.

publication date

  • August 1, 2012

Research

keywords

  • Graft vs Host Disease
  • Lupus Erythematosus, Discoid
  • Skin Diseases

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 84861589337

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/DAD.0b013e31823395f0

PubMed ID

  • 22307231

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 34

issue

  • 6