Non-Malignant Late Cutaneous Changes After Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Children

March 2018 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Jennifer T. Huang, James Song, Elena B. Hawryluk, Wendy B. London, Deliang Guo, Makuteswaran Sridharan, David E. Fisher, Leslie Lehmann, Christine Duncan

alopecia vitiligo psoriasis sebopsoriasis nail changes chronic graft-versus-host disease cGVHD busulfan conditioning male pattern baldness hair loss baldness

Studysummary This study found that pediatric HSCT recipients, especially those with chronic graft-versus-host disease, are at risk for developing various nonmalignant late cutaneous changes such as vitiligo, psoriasis, alopecia, and nail changes.

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The document summarizes a study that investigated non-malignant late cutaneous changes in 85 children after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The study found that 25% of patients experienced alopecia, 14% had vitiligo, 16% had psoriasis/sebopsoriasis, and 6% had nail changes. Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) was a significant risk factor for vitiligo, alopecia, and nail changes. Alopecia was also associated with busulfan conditioning and a family history of early male pattern baldness. The study concluded that these cutaneous changes are common after HSCT in children, with cGVHD being a major risk factor, and highlighted the importance of early detection and management to mitigate the psychosocial impact. The study's cross-sectional design may limit the generalizability of the findings, and the associations between vitiligo, psoriasis/sebopsoriasis, and certain risk factors were not analyzed due to a lack of established associations in the literature.

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Research cited in this study

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research Permanent Diffuse Alopecia After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Childhood

16 citations , March 2017 in “Bone Marrow Transplantation”

In this study, permanent alopecia after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation was found in 16% of patients and was significantly associated with conditioning regimens involving busulphan.

High Frequency of Cutaneous Manifestations Including Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

research High Frequency of Cutaneous Manifestations Including Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in a Prospective Cohort of Patients with Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

17 citations , June 2016 in “Croatian Medical Journal”

In this study, vitiligo and alopecia areata were more common among patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease than previously reported, linked to higher NIH skin scores and greater immunosuppressive treatment.

research Risk Factors and Characterization of Vitiligo and Alopecia Areata in Patients With Chronic Graft-Versus-Host Disease

27 citations , September 2014 in “JAMA dermatology”

In this NIH study, female donor to male recipient sex mismatch was significantly associated with the development of vitiligo and/or alopecia areata in patients with chronic graft-vs-host disease.