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Case Report

Chronic graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis as a cause of respiratory failure following allogeneic bone marrow transplant

Bone Marrow Transplantation volume 26, pages 1117–1120 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

An unusual case of respiratory failure and dropped head syndrome as a complication of severe chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)-related polymyositis is described. The patient required tracheostomy and mechanical ventilation but recovered following treatment with aggressive immunosuppression and intensive rehabilitation. The differential diagnoses of muscle weakness in the bone marrow transplant (BMT) patient and the dropped head syndrome are both discussed. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation occurring as a complication of GVHD-related polymyositis. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2000) 26, 1117–1120.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Barbara Carter MD for her invaluable help with labelling the MRI and Sonya Harris for secretarial assistance.

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  1. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Department of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tupper Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    AM Leano & AC White

  2. Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Tupper Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA

    K Miller

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Leano, A., Miller, K. & White, A. Chronic graft-versus-host disease-related polymyositis as a cause of respiratory failure following allogeneic bone marrow transplant. Bone Marrow Transplant 26, 1117–1120 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bmt.1702688

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