Lichen planus—like oral mucosal findings as well as xerostomia are common after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT).1 Mucosa and salivary glands are sampled to establish or confirm the diagnosis of chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD). We studied mucosal epithelial and minor salivary gland biopsy specimens obtained for this purpose, using a four-level grading scheme (Table), similar to that for acute cutaneous disease, to investigate the clinical relevance of histologic findings for BMT outcome and to find correlation with other aspects of mucocutaneous disease after allogeneic BMT.
Materials and Methods.
Sixty-six specimens from 59 patients, taken an average of 136 days after allogeneic BMT (range, 65 to 201 days), were reviewed. Type of malignant neoplasm, preparative regimen, major histocompatibility complex disparity, and medications during and after hospitalization varied among the patients. Specimens were simultaneously evaluated semiquantitatively and graded by two observers (E.B.R., R.L.C.). Factors associated with survival were selected based on