Introduction Hepatic veno-occlusive disease (HVOD), or sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is a potentially liefe-threatening complication following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). Historically, HVOD has affected up to 60% of allo-SCT recipients, with reported mortality rates exceeding 75% in severe cases. The approval of defibrotide in 2016 represented a major therapeutic milestone, significantly improving outcomes in high-risk patients. Despite this advancement, large-scale data on HVOD epidemiology P =0. 0045) P =0. 0191). They had higher rates of acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (17. 5% vs. 6. 47%; P =0. 0043), acute respiratory failure (32. 5% vs. 8. 37%; P< 0. 001), P< 0. 001). Hepatic complications, including portal hypertension (7. 5% vs. 0. 52%; P< 0. 001), hepatic encephalopathy (12. 5% vs. 0. 28%; P <0. 001), cirrhosis (7. 5% vs. 0. 07%; P< 0. 001), ascites (37. 5% vs. 1. 97%; P< 0. 001) P< 0. 001) were also more common in this cohort. HVOD was associated with worse outcomes, including longer hospital stays (45. 5 vs. 29. 51 days; P <0. 001) P <0. 001). HVOD also imposed a greater economic burden, with more than double mean total hospitalization charges (1, 321, 650 vs. 541, 391. 1; P <0. 001) P <0. 001). Conclusion This study describes HVOD-specific characteristics in allo-SCT admissions. Patients with HVOD were younger, had higher comorbidity burden, & showed increased rates of acute GVHD, multiorgan dysfunction, & hepatic complications. They also faced high in-hospital mortality, longer hospital stays, & greater healthcare costs.
Sharma et al. (2026) studied this question.