Introduction: Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is a systemic complication that can affect patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and the mouth is one of the places affected by the disease (oGVHD). Topical corticosteroids are used to control the painful symptoms, causing a local immunosuppression and increasing the risk for opportunistic infections.
Objective: This study aims to report a case of a 42-year-old woman, diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, who developed oGVHD and herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection after HSCT.
Case report: oGVHD was confirmed by incisional biopsy and viral infection by HSV types 1 and 2 was confirmed by PCR. Topical and systemic corticotherapy and antiviral therapies were instituted. The immunosuppression intensified viral infection and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) was instituted as an adjuvant treatment. aPDT application, along with the patient's immune recovery, antivirals and corticosteroids resulted in clinical improvement of oral lesions.
Final considerations: This study highlights aPDT as an effective adjunct therapy in the local treatment of opportunistic infections in onco-hematological patients.
Keywords: hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; herpes simplex; leukemia myelogenous chronic.
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