Vitiligo And Alopecia Areata After Donor Lymphocyte Infusions In A Child With Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
January 2024
in “
Cureus
”
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Studysummary In this case study, donor lymphocyte infusions effectively eradicated measurable residual disease in a patient with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia after hematopoietic cell transplantation, while side effects included the development of vitiligo and alopecia areata, likely due to chronic graft-versus-host disease. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
In a case study of a child with relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), donor lymphocyte infusions (DLI) were used following a hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) to achieve molecular remission. Despite the success in eradicating leukemia, the patient developed vitiligo and alopecia areata, conditions rarely associated with chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD). These autoimmune reactions, confirmed by a dermatologist, were linked to the destruction of melanocytes. The patient remained in clinical and molecular remission for five years post-DLI, demonstrating the effectiveness of DLI in treating AML relapse, albeit with the side effect of developing vitiligo and alopecia areata.
