title: Graft-versus-host disease: gastrointestinal involvement with a rectovaginal fistula.
abstract: Bone marrow transplantation is an accepted form of treatment for aplastic anemia and end-stage hematological malignancies. Despite a satisfactory outcome in selected patients, more than one-half develop acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), characterized typically by involvement of the skin, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. We describe an unusual case in which a 10-year-old girl developed gastrointestinal symptoms as the only manifestation of GVHD. The patient presented with a rectovaginal fistula and had clinical, radiological, and histological features of gastrointestinal GVHD without evidence of liver or skin involvement.
authors.affiliation: Texas Children's Hospital, Houston.
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Cochran
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Klish
mesh_terms: D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000628:therapy*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D012006:Rectovaginal Fistula / Q000209:etiology*