Endoscopy in the diagnosis of intestinal graft-versus-host disease: is lower endoscopy with biopsy as effective in diagnosis as upper endoscopy combined with lower endoscopy?

BACKGROUND: Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) causes morbidity and mortality in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (SCT). This study assessed the distribution of GvHD in gastrointestinal (GI) biopsies from the upper and lower GI tract in pediatric patients who had undergone SCT and evaluated if there was correlation between biopsy findings and possible extra-intestinal manifestations of GvHD.

PROCEDURE: We performed a retrospective chart review for all patients diagnosed with GvHD, who underwent both upper and lower endoscopy. We also reviewed pathology and clinical reports to determine which biopsy sites were diagnostic of GvHD and to evaluate for the possible presence of extra-intestinal manifestations GvHD at the time of biopsy.

RESULTS: Twenty patients were identified who had undergone both upper and lower endoscopy for evaluation of GvHD. Patients with GvHD diagnosed on upper endoscopy also had GvHD identified in the sigmoid colon region 100% of the time (positive predictive value [PPV] = 1). In patients that were found to have underlying liver disease, GvHD was diagnosed in the sigmoid colon region 90% of the time (PPV = 0.9).

CONCLUSION: Use of sigmoid biopsy for GvHD diagnosis is effective, safe, and less expensive compared to other endoscopic interventions.