Ascites as a Manifestation of GVHD: a Rare Phenomenon

Abstract

Graft versus host disease (GVHD) usually have involvement of classical target organs. Manifestations of Chronic GVHD (cGVHD) are much more protean than acute GVHD. NIH consensus criterion for cGVHD proposes different diagnostic and distinctive features of cGVHD. It acknowledges certain uncommon manifestations that can be attributed to cGVHD only when they are associated with more specific features. Patients rarely may develop such manifestations which are not diagnostic of cGVHD themselves. In the absence of more specific features of cGVHD, they may pose diagnostic challenge. Amongst the rare reported manifestations of cGVHD is serositis manifesting as pleural effusion, pericardial effusion or ascites. We report two patients developing ascites as an isolated manifestation of cGVHD.