Defecation of a "colon cast" as a rare presentation of acute graft-versus-host disease

Ann Saudi Med. 2009 May-Jun;29(3):231-3. doi: 10.4103/0256-4947.51783.

Abstract

Diffuse involvement of the gastrointestinal tract by graft versus host disease (GVHD) is a common complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Gastrointestinal GVHD usually presents 3 or more weeks after HSCT and is characterized by profuse diarrhea, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. We report a case of a 23-year-old male who had undergone allogeneic HSCT and presented with bloody diarrhea on the 90th day post-HSCT. On the fourth day of admission, the patient passed per rectum a 27-cm long pinkish colored fleshy material recognized as a "colon cast". Sigmoidoscopy showed a congested and erythematous rectum with the remaining portion of the "colon cast" attached to the proximal part of the sigmoid colon. A biopsy from the rectal wall was suggestive of grade IV GVHD. The patient was treated with methylprednisolone, cyclosporin and mycophenolate mofetil, with a partial response (diarrhea and abdominal pain improved), but then he developed multiple other medical complications and died after 3 months.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Anemia, Aplastic / surgery
  • Defecation*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diarrhea / diagnosis
  • Diarrhea / etiology*
  • Diarrhea / physiopathology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Graft vs Host Disease / complications*
  • Graft vs Host Disease / diagnosis
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Sigmoid Diseases / complications*
  • Sigmoid Diseases / diagnosis
  • Sigmoid Diseases / physiopathology
  • Sigmoidoscopy
  • Transplantation, Homologous
  • Young Adult