TREATMENT OF CHRONIC GRAFT-VERSUS-HOST DISEASE WITH ULTRAVIOLET-IRRADIATION AND PSORALEN (PUVA)

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a difficult clinical problem to treat and manage. We have reviewed our treatment of 40 pati ents treated at a single institution with PUVA (ultraviolet irradiatio n and psoralen) over a 14 year period. Thirty-five patients were treat ed for refractory chronic GVHD and five patients were treated at prese ntation of high-risk chronic GVHD. Overall, 31 of 40 patients improved on PUVA treatment. Sixteen patients achieved a complete response to P UVA added to their GVHD regimen. Four of the 15 partial responders had complete resolution of cutaneous GVHD but persistence of other system ic manifestations. The remaining partial responders had at least a 50% improvement in GVHD. We have also used PUVA with a glassfiber extensi on to treat intraoral GVHD. PUVA is well tolerated with a high rate of response in the skin and mild side effects except for three patients who had therapy discontinued after phototoxicity (burn).