Musculoskeletal, Neurologic, and Cardiopulmonary Aspects of Physical Rehabilitation in Patients with Chronic Graft-versus-Host Disease

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) has the potential to cause significant morbidity and mortality in people who undergo allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Management of complications due to cGVHD can be challenging because of multiorgan involvement and variable presentation of the disease. This paper outlines the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal, neurologic, and cardiopulmonary manifestations of cGVHD that have the potential to cause profound functional impairment and that may significantly impact quality of life and lifespan. Expert evaluation by a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician and multidisciplinary team may be beneficial in the treatment of the disease sequelae, and examples of specific rehabilitation interventions are described.