Gastrointestinal pathological changes in stem cell transplant patients.
OBJECTIVE
The last 5 years have seen an expansion of knowledge about the gastrointestinal diseases that may present in haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) patients and also about new gastrointestinal diseases in this patient population.


RESULTS
This article summarizes the recent opinions and findings regarding gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease, and viral and other opportunistic gastrointestinal infections that can develop in HSCT patients. This article also discusses the more newly described entities of mycophenolate-mofetil-related gastrointestinal injury and cord colitis syndrome.


CONCLUSIONS
This review emphasizes the need for comprehensive clinical information when assessing gastrointestinal endoscopic biopsies from HSCT patients. It is crucial that both clinicians and histopathologists are aware of several specific but rare gastrointestinal diseases that may develop in these patients, because several of these diseases have specific treatments.
Department of Histopathology, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Bristol, UK.
Newton A C S
NA
Wong
D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000473:pathology*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000473:pathology; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D009173:Mycophenolic Acid