Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease in an immunocompetent patient following accidental injury

✍ Scribed by Dr. Hikaru Kobayashi; Kiyoshi Kitano; Etsuo Kishi; Kenichi Hara; Fumihiro Ishida; Hiroshi Saito; Masao Ota; Seiichi Furuta

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 287 KB
• Volume: 43
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0361-8609
• DOI: 10.1002/ajh.2830430112

✦ Synopsis

We report a case of transfusion-associated graft-vs.-host disease (TA-GVHD) in a previously healthy, 58 year old Japanese man following an accidental injury. Despite intensive treatment, the patient died 22 days after the transfusion. Although many cases of fatal TA-GVHD have been reported in immunocompetent patients, only two are known to have developed this disorder unrelated to a surgical procedure. This is the first such case to be confirmed by HLA typing. Our report suggests that TA-GVHD can occur even in a healthy, immunocompetent recipient. Thus, it seems necessary to establish guidelines for the irradiation of cellular blood products before transfusion.