High Frequency of Cutaneous Manifestations Including Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease
June 2016
in “
Croatian Medical Journal
”
alopecia areata vitiligo chronic graft-versus-host disease CGVHD cutaneous manifestations hypopigmentation hyperpigmentation systemic immunosuppressive therapy Karnofsky performance status B-cell numbers platelet counts total protein levels National Institutes of Health skin scores alopecia skin discoloration immunosuppressive therapy performance status B-cells platelets protein levels NIH skin scores
TLDR Patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease often have skin problems like vitiligo and alopecia areata.
In a prospective study of 50 patients with chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD) conducted between June 2013 and December 2015, researchers found that cutaneous manifestations, particularly vitiligo and alopecia areata, were more common than previously thought. Skin involvement was present in 56% of patients, with 96% of those showing hypo and/or hyperpigmentation. Vitiligo or alopecia areata was diagnosed in 20% of the patients. Factors associated with these conditions included undergoing more lines of prior systemic immunosuppressive therapy, lower Karnofsky performance status, and higher B-cell numbers, platelet counts, and total protein levels. The study also found that higher National Institutes of Health (NIH) skin scores were significantly predictive of developing alopecia and/or vitiligo, with patients having higher NIH skin scores being 3.67 times more likely to have these conditions. Despite the small sample size, the study highlighted the prevalence and severity of vitiligo and alopecia areata in patients with CGVHD.
