Graft-versus-host disease and other cutaneous manifestations in pediatric patients transplanted for Fanconi anemia

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to elaborate a specific protocol for the assessment and early identification of skin lesions in pediatric patients with Fanconi anemia undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. METHODS: This is a longitudinal, retrospective, and descriptive study. The medical records of 136 pediatric patients with Fanconi anemia who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation between 2008 and 2018 at the Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Paraná were reviewed. A specific protocol was created for data collection, which included age, sex, skin color, age at diagnosis of Fanconi anemia, transplantation data, family history of consanguinity, and pre- and post-transplant complications. In addition, the data included the presence of graft-versus-host disease of the skin and other organs, its classification, type of lesion, location, and also skin lesions not related to graft-versus-host disease. RESULTS: Among the skin manifestations in pre-transplant period, café-au-lait spots stood out (32.4%). At least one organ was affected by graft-versus-host disease in 55.1% of patients; the most common involvement being the mouth, followed by the skin. Rash and erythema were the most frequently observed cutaneous manifestations of graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of cutaneous manifestations of the disease was observed, as well as cutaneous manifestations of graft-versus-host disease. The protocol developed gathers relevant and standardized information for the follow-up of patients with Fanconi anemia undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, ensuring greater reliability of the information, and its implementation will allow the prospective evaluation of patients.