Ocular manifestations of graft-v-host disease

Abstract

Graft-v-host disease is the major complication of bone marrow transplantation for the leukemias and aplastic anemia. In the clinical evaluation of eye problems of patients with acute graft-v-host disease, findings reveal a disease process of keratoconjunctivitis that appears to represent a specific pathologic eye syndrome in which the conjunctivae and occasionally the cornea represent an immunologic target of graft-v-host disease. Additional studies of eye problems of chronic graft-v-host disease reveal the persistent nature of keratitis sicca and the morbid sequelae of the immunoincompetent patient.