Unusual complications of bone marrow transplantation. Experience at the BMT Unit of the Francisco Gentil Portuguese Institute of Oncology, Lisbon Center.

Abstract

Over the past 20 years allogeneic bone marrow transplantation has been increasingly utilized in the treatment of acute and chronic leukemias, aplastic anemia, severe forms of thalassemia, immunodeficiency syndromes and metabolic disorders due to a lack of specific enzymes in the monocyte-macrophage system. Despite the overall success of this approach and besides the so-called classic complications arising from the toxicity of the conditioning regimen, occurrence of GVH disease and interstitial pneumonitis, there are other less common complications which have been reported mainly by teams transplanting on a large number of patients. With only a limited experience, concerning 60 patients with transplants between May 1987 and May 1991, we have seen some unusual complications such as toxoplasma encephalitis, myasthenia gravis and aseptic bone necrosis, which may give rise to difficult diagnostic and therapeutic decisions.