It’s confirmed by Dr. Alex F. Herrera from Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston that Diarrhea is an expected complication of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). This syndrome is called colitis. It is defined as a constant diarrheal illness and it’s not cause d by acute graft-vs-host disease (GVHD).
A new study made by the hospital reveals there are cases of cord colitis syndrome and it occurred in eleven of one hundred four patients. These cases have been characterized in terms of clinical and pathological features. Its onset after transplantation is 131 days. Dr. Herrera is the author of September Issue of New England Journal of Medicine and he wrote,
“The cord colitis syndrome is clinically and histopathologically distinct from acute GVHD and other causes of diarrhea in patients who have undergone cord-blood HSCT and is relatively common in this patient population. The syndrome should be considered in such patients who have diarrhea that is not attributable to other causes.”
“The cord colitis syndrome responds to antibacterial therapy, which suggests an infectious, possibly bacterial, cause. The histopathological findings observed in the cord colitis syndrome are similar to those seen in Crohn’s disease. There is evidence that antibiotics may be a useful adjunctive therapy in patients with Crohn’s disease. A greater understanding of the cord colitis syndrome may provide insights into the pathophysiology of Crohn’s disease.”