Histopathology of Graft-vs-Host Disease of Gastrointestinal Tract and Liver:  An Update.

Abstract

Graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is a donor T-cell-mediated disorder affecting the recipient's skin, gastrointestinal tract, lungs, and liver. It complicates up to 70% of hematopoietic cell transplantation and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. An extensive review of the literature has been performed to include the most current consensus on the histopathologic diagnosis of gastrointestinal and liver GVHD. In this review, we present an overview of GVHD, with emphasis on the histopathologic evaluation of gastrointestinal and liver specimens, including the most important differential diagnoses and possible pitfalls. Histopathologic examination remains the mainstay of diagnosis of gastrointestinal and liver GVHD and is interpreted in conjunction with clinical and laboratory data.