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Graft-Versus-Host Disease

Fasciitis and myositis: an analysis of muscle-related complications caused by chronic GVHD after allo-SCT

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 43, pages 159–167 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

The muscle-related complications of fasciitis and myositis, caused by chronic GVHD after Allo-SCT are relatively rare, but at times will severely impair a patient's quality of life (QOL). We performed a retrospective analysis in Japanese Allo-SCT recipients to identify the incidence, risk factors and clinical features of fasciitis and myositis. In 1967 patients who underwent Allo-SCT between January 1994 and March 2005 and survived beyond 90 days post transplantation, eight patients developed fasciitis and nine patients developed myositis, with a 5-year cumulative incidence of 0.55% and 0.54%, respectively. The median time from SCT to the development of fasciitis and myositis was 991 and 660 days, respectively. PBSCT was a risk factor for developing fasciitis, but no risk factors were found for myositis. The response to immunosuppressive treatment was better in patients with myositis than fasciitis, and the overall survival after developing these symptoms was better in patients with myositis than those with fasciitis. An early diagnosis by a biopsy, which includes fascia and muscle or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and prompt treatment may be important to prevent an impairment of the patient's QOL with persistent disability.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Hematology, Department of Clinical Cell Biology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan

    K Oda, C Nakaseko, S Ozawa, M Nishimura & Y Saito

  2. Department of Hematology and Oncology, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan

    F Yoshiba

  3. Department of Hematology, Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, Tokyo, Japan

    T Yamashita & H Sakamaki

  4. Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Immunology, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama, Japan

    H Fujita & H Takasaki

  5. Department of Chemotherapy, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan

    H Takasaki

  6. Department of Hematology, Kanagawa Cancer Center, Yokohama, Japan

    H Kanamori & A Maruta

  7. Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    S Okamoto

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  1. K Oda
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  2. C Nakaseko
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for the Kanto Study Group for Cell Therapy (KSGCT)

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Correspondence to C Nakaseko.

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Oda, K., Nakaseko, C., Ozawa, S. et al. Fasciitis and myositis: an analysis of muscle-related complications caused by chronic GVHD after allo-SCT. Bone Marrow Transplant 43, 159–167 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/bmt.2008.297

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