Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Jul 29.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Dermatopathol. 2015 Jul;37(7):523–529. doi: 10.1097/DAD.0000000000000357

Table 1.

Histopathologic features of biopsies from transplant patients

aGVHD-positive aGVHD-negative Equivocal

Feature n (%)
TCD/+aGVHD
(total n=13)
n (%) T
replete/+aGVHD
(total n=38)
n (%) TCD/−
aGVHD
(total n=20)
n (%) T replete/−
aGVHD
(total n=40)
Interface Dermatitis
  Grade 0 NA 7 (35) NA 2 (50)
  Grade 1 3 (23) 8 (40) 1 (25)
  Grade 2 9 (69) 5 (25)
  Grade 3 1 (8) 1 (25)
Epidermal Thickness
  Normal 5 (38) 7 (18) 5 (25) 16 (40)
  Atrophy 1 (8) 28 (74) 2 (10) 24 (60) 1 (25)
  Acanthotic 7 (54) 3 (8) 13 (65) 3 (75)
Spongiosis
  Absent 6 (46) 17 (45) 6 (30) 32 (80) 1 (25)
  Present 7 (54) 21 (55) 14 (70) 8 (20) 3 (75)
Basal Vacuolization
  Absent 1 (8) 3 (8) 6 (30) 9 (22) 2 (50)
  Focal 2 (15) 16 (42) 9 (45) 28 (70)
  Diffuse 10 (77) 19 (50) 5 (25) 3 (8) 2 (50)
Single necrotic keratinocytes (HPF)
  Absent 1 (8) 5 (13) 11 (55) 17 (42) 3 (75)
  ≤3 8 (61) 20 (53) 8 (40) 21 (52)
  >3 4 (31) 13 (34) 1 (5) 2 (5) 1 (25)
Site of necrotic keratinocytes n=12 n=33 n=9 n=23 n=1
  Basal/suprabasal 7 (58) 25 (76) 9 (100) 22 (96) 1 (100)
  Entire epidermis 5 (42) 8 (24) 1 (4)
Adnexal Involvement
  Absent 3 (23) 32 (84) 11 (55) 39 (98) 2 (50)
  Present 10 (77) 6 (16) 9 (45) 1 (2) 2 (50)
    Minor 6 (46) NA 7 (35) NA 1 (25)
    Major 4 (31) NA 2 (10) NA 1 (25)
Satellitosis
  Absent 3 (23) 29 (76) 14 (70) 40 (100) 2 (50)
  Present 10 (77) 9 (24) 6 (30) 2 (50)
Inflammatory Infiltrate
  Absent 1 (3) 24 (60)
  Slight 10 (77) 29 (76) 4 (20) 16 (40) 3 (75)
  Marked 3 (23) 8 (21) 16 (80) 1 (25)
Disposition of Inflammatory Infiltrate n=37 n=16
  Perivascular 7 (54) 21 (57) 17 (85) 14 (88) 4 (100)
  Lichenoid* 6 (46) 16 (43) 3 (15) 2 (12)
    Perivascular +Lichenoid* 5 (42) NA 2 (10) NA
Lymphocyte exocytosis
  Absent 1 (8) 24 (63) 7 (35) 38 (95) 2 (50)
  Present 12 (92) 14 (37) 13 (65) 2 (5) 2 (50)
Eosinophils
  Absent 9 (69) 37 (97) 7 (35) 38 (95) 2 (50)
  Present 4 (31) 1 (3) 13 (65) 2 (5) 2 (50)
Neutrophils
  Absent 9 (69) 38 (100) 15 (75) 40 (100) 1 (25)
  Present 4 (31) 5 (25) 3 (75)
Plasma cells
  Absent 8 (62) 37 (97) 13 (65) 40 (100) 1 (25)
  Present 5 (38) 1 (3) 7 (35) 3 (75)
Melanophages
  Absent 24 (63) 2 (10) 35 (88)
  Present 13 (100) 14 (37) 18 (90) 5 (12) 4 (100)
Extravasated erythrocytes
  Absent 4 (31) 33 (87) 9 (45) 37 (92) 1 (25)
  Present 9 (69) 5 (13) 11 (55) 3 (8) 3 (75)

aGVHD, acute graft versus host disease, TCD, T cell depleted, HPF, high power field