Chronic graft-versus-host disease treated with UVB phototherapy

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) is a major complication of alloge neic bone marrow transplantation. Immunosuppressive treatment regimens carr y the potential of causing severe morbidity and mortality, so that addition al modes of therapy with fewer side-effects are clearly needed, Five cGVHD patients (sclerodermoid cGVHD in two patients, lichenoid cGVHD in one patie nt and intraoral cGVHD in two patients), who had not responded to standard immunosuppressive drugs, were treated with adjuvant UVB phototherapy, The p atient with lichenoid cGVHD experienced complete clearing of cutaneous lesi ons, whereas both patients with sclerodermoid cGVHD experienced significant relief of pruritus, but showed no change of the sclerodermoid skin lesions . Intraoral lesions cleared in one patient, The effects of UVB phototherapy were furthermore documented by measurement of skin viscoelasticity and mou th opening, No side-effects were encountered, This preliminary study sugges ts that UVB phototherapy is useful as an adjuvant therapeutic modality in i ntraoral and cutaneous lichenoid cGVHD.