Transfusion-associated graft-vs-host disease – A case report

Abstract

Transfusion-associated graft-vs-host disease (TAGVHD) is a rare complication of blood transfusion. Unlike GVHD associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation TA-GVHD involves the patient's bone marrow and leads to bone marrow aplasia. We report a case of TA-GVHD in a 45-year-old post-hysterectomy patient after packed red blood cell transfusion from a sibling donor. The patient had fever, maculopapular rashes all over the body, elevated transaminases, and hyperglycemia after a week of the blood transfusion. Severe pancytopenia and bone marrow aplasia followed and she succumbed to her disease after 3 weeks of onset.