A rare cause of stricture and ulcer in the colon: Chronic graft versus host disease

Abstract

Often during routine gastroenterology examinations, ulcers and strictures in the colon and small intestine are encountered in patients. Differential diagnosis of ulcers in these patients may not always be easy. Graft-versushost disease (GVHD) is a serious complication that can be life-threatening after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (1). Since the introduction of modern immunosuppressive treatment regimens, clinical symptoms, radiographic and histological findings are rarely seen in chronic graft-versus-host disease (CGVHD) (2). However, CGVHD patients often present with various gastrointestinal symptoms such as esophageal reflux, dysphagia, bloating, weight loss, and diarrhea (2). Edema, erythema, diffuse polypoid lesions, multiple ulcers, and strictures in the mucosa can be observed in the endoscopic examination of intestinal GVHD (3).