Chronic Graft versus Host Disease of the Skin
Clinical
- Acute vs. chronic GVHD
- Poor correlation between pathologic features and clinical definition of acute vs. chronic
- Chronic GVHD
- Resembles autoimmune connective tissue disorders
- Mortality is high due to infections promoted by GVHD associated immunodeficiency
- Target organs more widespread but skin, liver and GI tract play a major role
- Skin is most commonly affected organ in chronic GVHD
- Can be localized or generalized
- Clinical extent of lesions more important than histologic severity
