Graft versus host disease after coronary bypass surgery

Transfusion associated graft versus host disease (TA-GVHD) is a rare disease with a high mortality rates. Due to low potential to complete recovery with the treatment, supportive care is usually administered. Late diagnosis is common due to nonspecific signs and symptoms in routine clinical practice. History of blood product transfusion is a critical clue indicating this disease. In this article, we present a 74-year-old female case who was hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU) due to fever, rash, elevated liver enzymes, uremia, pancytopenia, jaundice, respiratory deficiency and gastrointestinal bleeding at two weeks following coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. She had received blood from relative donors two weeks ago before CABG surgery. The patient was diagnosed with graft versus host disease through biopsy samples taken from skin rash. On day 4, the patient died due to sepsis and disseminated intravascular coagulation in the ICU.