Colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome post ABMT

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CORRESPONDENCE Colitis Secondary to Engraftment Syndrome in a Patient with Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant Amer A. Alkhatib Kathleen K. Boynton Ahmed M. Badheeb Published online: 5 June 2009 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009 To the Editor, More than 30,000 autologous bone marrow transplanta- tion are done annually worldwide [1]. Two-thirds of these bone marrow transplantations are done for multiple mye- loma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma [1]. Other indications for autologous transplantation are Hodgkin’s lymphoma, acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma, amyloidosis, autoimmune disorders and other conditions [1]. Engraft- ment syndrome is a potential complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The syndrome is a febrile clinical condition that occurs in the early neutrophil recovery phase after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation [2]. It is characterized by noninfectious fever and various clinical findings, such as skin rash mimicking acute graft- versus-host disease, diarrhea, pulmonary infiltrates, weight gain and neurological manifestations [3]. The pathogenesis of engraftment syndrome is not clearly understood, but involves the release of proinflammatory cytokines, includ- ing tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 resulting in increased capillary permeability [2, 3]. Engraftment syndrome has been described after allogeneic and autolo- gous HSCT [4]. It is likely associated with increased mor- tality [2]. Corticosteroid is often effective therapy [2]. The incidence of engraftment syndrome varies from 7 to 59% depending on the definition used [4]. In 2003, Maiolinon et al. [4] introduced new diagnostic criteria for engraftment syndrome. These criteria are noninfectious fever plus any of the following: skin rash, diarrhea or pulmonary infiltrate [4]. The diarrhea is defined, in engraftment syndrome, as noninfectious diarrhea manifest as at least two episodes of liquid bowel movements per day without documentation of infection by standard procedures [4]. Based on this definition, the incidence of engraftment syndrome in autologous HSCT is 20% [4]. To our knowledge, the endoscopic findings in patients with colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome have never been reported. The Case A 55-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of multiple myeloma underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant. On day 8 posttransplant, she developed fever and diarrhea that turned bloody on day 14 posttransplant. Infectious stool studies were negative. Colonoscopy was done on day 20 posttransplant and showed inflammation in the rectum, the sigmoid colon, the descending colon and in the transverse colon. The inflammation was characterized by congestion, erythema, granularity and aphthous ulcer- ations. The inflammation was patchy in the rectum (Fig. 1), linear in the descending colon (Fig. 2) and more diffuse in the transverse colon (Fig. 3). The colitis was mild in the rectum and severe in the transverse colon. For the sake of patient’s safety, the scope was not advanced beyond the transverse colon. Several biopsies were obtained with cold forceps for histology and HSV and CMV PCR. The PCR studies were negative. The biopsies from the colon showed A. A. Alkhatib (&) Á K. K. Boynton Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East, SOM4R118, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA e-mail: [email protected] A. M. Badheeb Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA e-mail: [email protected] 123 Dig Dis Sci (2010) 55:1500–1501 DOI 10.1007/s10620-009-0841-1

Transcript of Colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome post ABMT

Page 1: Colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome post ABMT

CORRESPONDENCE

Colitis Secondary to Engraftment Syndrome in a Patientwith Autologous Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplant

Amer A. Alkhatib Æ Kathleen K. Boynton ÆAhmed M. Badheeb

Published online: 5 June 2009

� Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2009

To the Editor,

More than 30,000 autologous bone marrow transplanta-

tion are done annually worldwide [1]. Two-thirds of these

bone marrow transplantations are done for multiple mye-

loma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma [1]. Other indications

for autologous transplantation are Hodgkin’s lymphoma,

acute myeloid leukemia, neuroblastoma, amyloidosis,

autoimmune disorders and other conditions [1]. Engraft-

ment syndrome is a potential complication of hematopoietic

stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The syndrome is a febrile

clinical condition that occurs in the early neutrophil

recovery phase after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

[2]. It is characterized by noninfectious fever and various

clinical findings, such as skin rash mimicking acute graft-

versus-host disease, diarrhea, pulmonary infiltrates, weight

gain and neurological manifestations [3]. The pathogenesis

of engraftment syndrome is not clearly understood, but

involves the release of proinflammatory cytokines, includ-

ing tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 resulting

in increased capillary permeability [2, 3]. Engraftment

syndrome has been described after allogeneic and autolo-

gous HSCT [4]. It is likely associated with increased mor-

tality [2]. Corticosteroid is often effective therapy [2].

The incidence of engraftment syndrome varies from 7

to 59% depending on the definition used [4]. In 2003,

Maiolinon et al. [4] introduced new diagnostic criteria for

engraftment syndrome. These criteria are noninfectious

fever plus any of the following: skin rash, diarrhea or

pulmonary infiltrate [4]. The diarrhea is defined, in

engraftment syndrome, as noninfectious diarrhea manifest

as at least two episodes of liquid bowel movements per day

without documentation of infection by standard procedures

[4]. Based on this definition, the incidence of engraftment

syndrome in autologous HSCT is 20% [4].

To our knowledge, the endoscopic findings in patients

with colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome have never

been reported.

The Case

A 55-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of multiple

myeloma underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell

transplant. On day 8 posttransplant, she developed fever

and diarrhea that turned bloody on day 14 posttransplant.

Infectious stool studies were negative. Colonoscopy was

done on day 20 posttransplant and showed inflammation in

the rectum, the sigmoid colon, the descending colon and in

the transverse colon. The inflammation was characterized

by congestion, erythema, granularity and aphthous ulcer-

ations. The inflammation was patchy in the rectum (Fig. 1),

linear in the descending colon (Fig. 2) and more diffuse in

the transverse colon (Fig. 3). The colitis was mild in the

rectum and severe in the transverse colon. For the sake of

patient’s safety, the scope was not advanced beyond the

transverse colon. Several biopsies were obtained with cold

forceps for histology and HSV and CMV PCR. The PCR

studies were negative. The biopsies from the colon showed

A. A. Alkhatib (&) � K. K. Boynton

Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology,

University of Utah, 30 North 1900 East, SOM4R118,

Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA

e-mail: [email protected]

A. M. Badheeb

Division of Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant, H. Lee

Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL, USA

e-mail: [email protected]

123

Dig Dis Sci (2010) 55:1500–1501

DOI 10.1007/s10620-009-0841-1

Page 2: Colitis secondary to engraftment syndrome post ABMT

scattered epithelial apoptosis associated with crypt

abscesses and total necrosis of individual crypts. These

changes were consistent with acute graft-vs-host disease

grade 2–3. The patient was diagnosed with engraftment

syndrome and treated with prednisone. The patient’s diar-

rhea resolved.

References

1. Copelan EA. Hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation. N Engl JMed. 2006;354(17):1813–1826. doi:10.1056/NEJMra052638.

2. Spitzer TR. Engraftment syndrome following hematopoietic stem

cell transplantation. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2001;27(9):893–898.

doi:10.1038/sj.bmt.1703015.

3. Cahill RA, Spitzer TR, Mazumder A. Marrow engraftment and

clinical manifestations of capillary leak syndrome. Bone MarrowTransplant. 1996;18(1):177–184.

4. Maiolino A, et al. Engraftment syndrome following autologous

hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: definition of diagnostic

criteria. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2003;31(5):393–397. doi:

10.1038/sj.bmt.1703855.

Fig. 1 Endoscopic image of the rectum showing patchy colitis

Fig. 2 Endoscopic image of the descending colon showing linear

colitis

Fig. 3 Endoscopic image of the transverse colon showing diffuse

colitis

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